Activities of key glycolytic enzymes in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease

• Published in: Journal of Neural Transmission 1999-01, Vol.106 (5-6), p.499-511
• Main Authors: BIGL, M, BRÜCKNER, M. K, ARENDT, T, BIGL, V, ESCHRICH, K
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Alzheimer Disease - enzymology; Alzheimer Disease - pathology; Autopsy; Biological and medical sciences; Brain - enzymology; Brain - pathology; Degenerative and inherited degenerative diseases of the nervous system. Leukodystrophies. Prion diseases; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Female; Frontal Lobe - enzymology; Fructose-Bisphosphate Aldolase - metabolism; Glucosephosphate Dehydrogenase - metabolism; Glycolysis; Hexokinase - metabolism; Hippocampus - enzymology; Humans; L-Lactate Dehydrogenase - metabolism; Male; Medical sciences; Neurology; Organ Specificity; Pyruvate Kinase - metabolism; Reference Values; Temporal Lobe - enzymology
• ISSN: 0300-9564; 1435-1463
• DOI: 10.1007/s007020050174

The activities of hexokinase, aldolase, pyruvate kinase, lactate dehydrogenase and glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase were determined in brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and in age matched controls. For pyruvate kinase and lactate dehydrogenase a significant increase in specific activity was found in frontal and temporal cortex of AD brains, while the activities of aldolase and hexokinase are not changed. Glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity was significantly reduced in hippocampus. The increase of some glycolytic enzyme activities is correlated with increased contents of lactate dehydrogenase and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in homogenates of frontal and temporal cortex and elevated phosphofructokinase (PFK) and GFAP in astrocytes from the same brain areas. The data extend previous findings on an increase in brain PFK specific activity in AD and suggest that the increased activity of some glycolytic enzymes may be, at least in part, the result of the reactive astrocytosis developing in the course of AD.