Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease and the most common form of dementia. Amyloid beta (Aβ) is a peptide found in the characteristic plaques in the brains of AD patients. Soluble oligomers of Aβ have been proposed oxidizers of biomolecules; in particular, lipids could be subjected to oxidation by these toxic oligomers. To test this hypothesis, the oligomeric species were successfully stabilized with the phenolic compound gallic acid. Large unilamellar vesicles (LUVs) were synthesized as a cell membrane model system and then tested for oxidative stress using calcein as a fluorescent indicator of membrane disruption. As Aβ produced more fluorescence than the buffer control, this showed Aβ is disrupting the integrity of the vesicles. Further analysis was conducted to analyze the possible oxidative effects of these oligomers. Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy and a lipid hydroperoxide assay were used qualitatively to detect the oxidation of lipids in the presence of Aβ oligomers.

Effects of amyloid beta oligomers on the oxidation of lipids

253rd National Meeting (2017)

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