Publication Cover
Nutritional Neuroscience
An International Journal on Nutrition, Diet and Nervous System
Volume 2, 1999 - Issue 4
16
Views
5
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Reviews

Zinc and Alzheimer's Disease: An Update

, , , &
Pages 191-208 | Received 29 Jan 1999, Published online: 13 Jul 2016
 

Abstract

Zinc is an essential metal in human nutrition. A growing number of observations have implicated zinc in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Zinc binds and interacts with both the amyloid-β peptide (the major component of senile plaques) and its larger parent protein known as amyloid precursor protein. Nevertheless, the pathophysiological position of zinc in AD remains unclear. Recently, much research has been published that supports the involvement of zinc in AD pathophysiology. Consistent reports show cerebral zinc to be elevated in selected regions of AD brain, and is highly concentrated within senile plaques. Quantitative assessment of zinc in plaques estimates the zinc concentration to be enriched to the near millimolar concentration range. Furthermore, zinc is also detected in neurons that are positively identified to contain neurofibrillary tangles. This paper reviews current available data that indicate a role for zinc in AD pathology.

Reprints and Corporate Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

To request a reprint or corporate permissions for this article, please click on the relevant link below:

Academic Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

Obtain permissions instantly via Rightslink by clicking on the button below:

If you are unable to obtain permissions via Rightslink, please complete and submit this Permissions form. For more information, please visit our Permissions help page.