Skip to main content
The American Journal of Pathology logoLink to The American Journal of Pathology
. 1990 Feb;136(2):461–466.

Age-related accumulation of amyloid inclusions in adrenal cortical cells.

L Eriksson 1, P Westermark 1
PMCID: PMC1877396  PMID: 2305837

Abstract

Cytoplasmic fine fibrillar inclusions with properties of amyloid occur as neurofibrillary tangles in the brain and in the aging choroid plexus. In the present study we show that inclusions, similar but not identical to those in the choroid plexus, are common in the adrenal cortex of elderly persons. The inclusions consist of aggregates of parallel fine fibrils, often in contact with lipid droplets and partially limited by a membrane. The inclusions have affinity for Congo red and exhibit a bright green birefringence after this staining. Therefore, the inclusions can be regarded as a form of senile amyloid.

Full text

PDF
465

Images in this article

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Burger P. C., Vogel F. S. The development of the pathologic changes of Alzheimer's disease and senile dementia in patients with Down's syndrome. Am J Pathol. 1973 Nov;73(2):457–476. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Cornwell G. G., 3rd, Westermark P. Senile amyloidosis: a protean manifestation of the aging process. J Clin Pathol. 1980 Dec;33(12):1146–1152. doi: 10.1136/jcp.33.12.1146. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. DIVRY P. De la nature des formations argentophiles des plexus chorïdes. Acta Neurol Psychiatr Belg. 1955 Mar;55(3):282–283. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Delacourte A., Defossez A. Alzheimer's disease: Tau proteins, the promoting factors of microtubule assembly, are major components of paired helical filaments. J Neurol Sci. 1986 Dec;76(2-3):173–186. doi: 10.1016/0022-510x(86)90167-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Eriksson L., Westermark P. Intracellular neurofibrillary tangle-like aggregations. A constantly present amyloid alteration in the aging choroid plexus. Am J Pathol. 1986 Oct;125(1):124–129. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Glenner G. G. Amyloid deposits and amyloidosis. The beta-fibrilloses (first of two parts). N Engl J Med. 1980 Jun 5;302(23):1283–1292. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198006053022305. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Haugh M. C., Probst A., Ulrich J., Kahn J., Anderton B. H. Alzheimer neurofibrillary tangles contain phosphorylated and hidden neurofilament epitopes. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1986 Nov;49(11):1213–1220. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.49.11.1213. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Joachim C. L., Morris J. H., Selkoe D. J., Kosik K. S. Tau epitopes are incorporated into a range of lesions in Alzheimer's disease. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol. 1987 Nov;46(6):611–622. doi: 10.1097/00005072-198711000-00001. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Johansson B., Wernstedt C., Westermark P. Atrial natriuretic peptide deposited as atrial amyloid fibrils. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1987 Nov 13;148(3):1087–1092. doi: 10.1016/s0006-291x(87)80243-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. KIDD M. Paired helical filaments in electron microscopy of Alzheimer's disease. Nature. 1963 Jan 12;197:192–193. doi: 10.1038/197192b0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Kawasaki H., Murayama S., Tomonaga M., Izumiyama N., Shimada H. Neurofibrillary tangles in human upper cervical ganglia. Morphological study with immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy. Acta Neuropathol. 1987;75(2):156–159. doi: 10.1007/BF00687076. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Kirschner D. A., Abraham C., Selkoe D. J. X-ray diffraction from intraneuronal paired helical filaments and extraneuronal amyloid fibers in Alzheimer disease indicates cross-beta conformation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1986 Jan;83(2):503–507. doi: 10.1073/pnas.83.2.503. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Kosik K. S., Joachim C. L., Selkoe D. J. Microtubule-associated protein tau (tau) is a major antigenic component of paired helical filaments in Alzheimer disease. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1986 Jun;83(11):4044–4048. doi: 10.1073/pnas.83.11.4044. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Masters C. L., Multhaup G., Simms G., Pottgiesser J., Martins R. N., Beyreuther K. Neuronal origin of a cerebral amyloid: neurofibrillary tangles of Alzheimer's disease contain the same protein as the amyloid of plaque cores and blood vessels. EMBO J. 1985 Nov;4(11):2757–2763. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1985.tb04000.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Perry G., Rizzuto N., Autilio-Gambetti L., Gambetti P. Paired helical filaments from Alzheimer disease patients contain cytoskeletal components. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1985 Jun;82(11):3916–3920. doi: 10.1073/pnas.82.11.3916. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Pitkänen P., Westermark P., Cornwell G. G., 3rd Senile systemic amyloidosis. Am J Pathol. 1984 Dec;117(3):391–399. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Sletten K., Westermark P., Natvig J. B. Characterization of amyloid fibril proteins from medullary carcinoma of the thyroid. J Exp Med. 1976 Apr 1;143(4):993–998. doi: 10.1084/jem.143.4.993. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Sternberger L. A., Hardy P. H., Jr, Cuculis J. J., Meyer H. G. The unlabeled antibody enzyme method of immunohistochemistry: preparation and properties of soluble antigen-antibody complex (horseradish peroxidase-antihorseradish peroxidase) and its use in identification of spirochetes. J Histochem Cytochem. 1970 May;18(5):315–333. doi: 10.1177/18.5.315. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Sternberger N. H., Sternberger L. A., Ulrich J. Aberrant neurofilament phosphorylation in Alzheimer disease. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1985 Jun;82(12):4274–4276. doi: 10.1073/pnas.82.12.4274. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Westermark G. T., Westermark P., Sletten K. Amyloid fibril protein AA. Characterization of uncommon subspecies from a patient with rheumatoid arthritis. Lab Invest. 1987 Jul;57(1):57–64. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Westermark P., Wernstedt C., Wilander E., Hayden D. W., O'Brien T. D., Johnson K. H. Amyloid fibrils in human insulinoma and islets of Langerhans of the diabetic cat are derived from a neuropeptide-like protein also present in normal islet cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1987 Jun;84(11):3881–3885. doi: 10.1073/pnas.84.11.3881. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Westermark P., Wilander E., Westermark G. T., Johnson K. H. Islet amyloid polypeptide-like immunoreactivity in the islet B cells of type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetic and non-diabetic individuals. Diabetologia. 1987 Nov;30(11):887–892. doi: 10.1007/BF00274799. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Wiśniewski H. M., Narang H. K., Terry R. D. Neurofibrillary tangles of paired helical filaments. J Neurol Sci. 1976 Feb;27(2):173–181. doi: 10.1016/0022-510x(76)90059-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The American Journal of Pathology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Investigative Pathology

RESOURCES