PubMed · 8671997
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B Di Iorio, V Terracciano. 1996. DFO low-dose therapy.. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.ndt.a027492
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Some evidence suggests that aluminum is one of the risk factors in Alzheimer's disease (AD); however, there is no study on the relationship between the synaptic configuration changes and aluminum uptake. In the present study, 40 rats were fed with water solution aluminum for 3 months and the effects of aluminum on the Gray's type I synapses in hippocampus and frontal cortex of rats were quantitatively investigated by electron microscopy. The effects of aluminum on the ability to learn and memorize were tested by a Morris water maze. Length of synaptic active zone, width of synaptic cleft, curvature of synapse, and thickness of postsynaptic density (PSD) were measured in the interface of synapses by the IBM-PC microimage processing system. The flat synapse, positive and negative curvature synapses, as well as the perforated synapse were classified and counted according to the type of the interfacial structure of a synapse. The amounts of aluminum deposited in brain were measured with an atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Our results show that the time and the distance taken by the rats to find the water maze increased after the rats were fed aluminum for 3 months. As compared with control, the synapses in aluminum-induced rats exhibited the following significant changes: decreased thickness of PSD (P < 0.01), increased width of synaptic cleft (P < 0.05), increased numbers of flat synapse, decreased numbers of positive curvature synapse and perforated synapse, and significantly increased aluminum deposits in hippocampus and frontal cortex (P < 0.01). Our study indicates that aluminum can decrease the ability of rats to learn and memorize and induce their synaptic configuration changes. These changes may be related to synaptic efficacy and may be one of the mechanisms for AL to induce AD.
Isocitrate lyase, ICL (EC 4.1.3.1), an enzyme that cleaves isocitrate into succinate, and glyoxylate appears to play a pivotal role in the detoxification of aluminum (Al) in Pseudomonas fluorescens. Here, we present evidence that the 4-fold increase in ICL activity observed in Al-stressed cells is due to the overexpression of this enzyme. Blue-Native-PAGE, Western blotting, and spectrophotometric experiments revealed that ICL is optimally expressed at 35 h of growth in Al-stressed cells. However, following the immobilization of Al, at 60 h of growth, the level of the enzyme decreases markedly. This enzyme that exists as a homotetramer with a molecular mass of approximately 133 kDa appears to be transcriptionally regulated. The overexpression of ICL may be a specific response to Al-stress as P. fluorescens grown in the presence of such metals as Ga3+, Pb2+, and Ca2+ does not undergo any significant increase in ICL activity. Thus, these findings support the notion that the overexpression of ICL plays a pivotal role in the survival and in the increased oxalogenesis observed in Al-stressed P. fluorescens.
Acid sulfate soils having a pH of less than 3.5 are widespread in Malaysia. Some of these soils are planted to cocoa, but the yield is reported to be low due to soil infertility related to Al toxicity. Cocoa growth is sensitive to the presence of Al in the soil. To a certain extent, Al toxicity in soils can be reduced by organic matter application and to a greater extent in iron-poor acid sulfate soil. A study was conducted to determine the efficacy of various types of organic materials easily available in the country to ameliorate acid sulfate soil infertility for growing cocoa seedlings. The treatments were control (nil), lime (3 t/ha), peat (10% w/w), peat plus green manure (10% w/w), peat plus rice straw (10% w/w), peat plus chicken dung (10% w/w) and peat plus POMS (Palm oil mill sludge) (10% w/w). The growth of cocoa seedlings was affected significantly by the presence of Al in the cocoa tissues. As the amount of Al in the leaves increased, the relative top dry weight of cocoa seedlings decreased. Likewise, the relative plant height was negatively correlated with Al in the leaves. Peat as well as peat in combination with green manure, rice straw, chicken dung or palm oil mill sludge was able to reduce Al toxicity in acid sulfate soil; the highest top dry weight of cocoa seedlings were obtained in the peat plus green manure treatment. The best cocoa seedlings root growth was found for the peat treatment alone. The relative top dry weight of cocoa seedlings was negatively correlated with Al(3+) as well as Al(3+)+Al(OH)(2+)+Al(OH)(2)(+) activity in the soil solution. The critical values for Al(3+) and the combination of Al(3+)+Al(OH)(2+)+Al(OH)(2)(+) activity in the soil solution were 10 microM and 15 microM, respectively.