2019 NCAS Abstracts

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most prominent form of dementia, affecting about 10% of the global population over 60 yr of age. A proposed mechanism for development of AD is based upon the misfolding and fibrillization of beta-amyloid peptide (Aβ) in the cerebral cortex, which in turn gives rise to amyloid plaques, a hallmark of AD pathogenesis. Recent studies have shown that the generation of reactive oxygen species as result of cellular oxidative stress is closely associated with this atypical aggregation and the deposition of proteins in brain tissue. The aim of the current study is to investigate this association, specifically the link between the reactive oxygen species hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and Aβ misfolding. Hydrogen peroxide was used in vitro to simulate cellular oxidative stress, and the subsequent aggregation of Aβ in the presence of H2O2 was monitored using a Congo red spectroscopic assay. Congo red dye binds hydrophobic...