Oxidative processes in Alzheimer's disease: The role of Aβ-metal interactions

Abstract

Alzheimer's disease is characterized by signs of a major oxidative stress in the neocortex and the concomitant deposition of Amyloid beta (Aβ). Aβ is a metalloprotein that binds copper, and is electrochemically active. Aβ converts molecular oxygen into hydrogen peroxide by reducing copper or iron, and this may lead to Fenton chemistry. Hydrogen peroxide is a freely permeable prooxidant that may be responsible for many of the oxidative adducts that form in the Alzheimer-affected brain. The electrochemical activity of various Aβ species correlates with the peptides' neurotoxicity in cell culture, and participation in the neuropathology of Alzheimer's disease. These reactions present a novel ta..