Thiamine-dependent enzyme changes in temporal cortex of patients with Alzheimer's disease

Abstract

Activites of thiamine-dependent enzymes [pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDHC), α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase (αKGDH), and transketolase (TK)] were measured in autopsied samples of temporal cortex from six patients with Alzheimer's disease and from eight age-matched control subjects who were free from neurological or psychiatric diseases. Times from death to freezing of dissected material at −70°C were matched. Significant decreases in PDHC (decreased by 70%;PP<0.01) were observed in brain tissue from patients with Alzheimer's disease. In contrast, activities of glutamate dehydrogenase were within normal limits. These findings suggest a possible role for alterations of brain thiamine metabolism or utilization in Alzheimer's disease