Home › Research › Down syndrome and Alzheimer's
Aberrant expression of the constitutive endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene in Alzheimer disease
de la Monte SM, Bloch KD.. Molecular and chemical neuropathology, 1997-01-01
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
Neuritic pathology is a major neuroanatomical correlate of dementia in Alzheimer disease (AD). Nitric oxide (NO) is linked to neuritic growth and synaptic plasticity. Expression of one of the enzymes responsible for NO synthesis, the constitutive endothelial NO synthase (ceNOS), was investigated in brains of AD and Down syndrome patients using RNase protection assays, in situ hybridization, and immunocytochemistry. In end-stage AD, ceNOS expression was reduced in cortical neurons, and the enzyme was aberrantly translocated to membranes of proliferated swollen or collapsed neuritic processes. In addition, ceNOS expression was strikingly increased in glial cells characterized mainly as protoplasmic (Type 2) astrocytes, which are responsible for maintaining the structural and functional integrity of cell processes in the CNS. In Down syndrome, similar abnormalities emerged by the third decade, preceding the cognitive decline and establishment of CERAD criteria for AD, indicating that aberrant ceNOS expression occurs early in the course of neurodegeneration. The results suggest that aberrant ceNOS translocation and gene regulation may have important roles in the pathogenesis of AD neuritic pathology.
Key findings
- The results suggest that aberrant ceNOS translocation and gene regulation may have important roles in the pathogenesis of AD neuritic pathology.
Why it matters
In brain tissue from people who died with end-stage Alzheimer's disease, the enzyme ceNOS was reduced in cortical neurons and appeared in abnormal locations, including glial cells. The authors suggest this abnormal ceNOS behavior may play a role in the neuritic pathology of Alzheimer's disease, but the study does not test any treatment or show that changing ceNOS alters the disease course.
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 38/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Molecular and chemical neuropathology) |
| Journal's citation record | 0 / 4 | Molecular and Chemical Neuropathology: journal h-index 56 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 1997 — older than 20 years, still counted |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 4 / 7 | Cited 47 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 1 / 5 | 1.5 citations a year over 31 year(s) since 1997 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 4.0× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 3 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 0 / 4 | Cited 2 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Kenneth D. Bloch: h-index 85 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 3 / 3 | Harvard University: institution h-index 3,235 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 9138425) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 38 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
May need a subscription OpenAlex found no free copy of the full text (checked 6 Feb 1020), so the publisher may charge for it. The PubMed abstract is free.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
de la Monte, S. M., & Bloch, K. D. (1997). Aberrant expression of the constitutive endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene in Alzheimer disease. Molecular and chemical neuropathology. https://doi.org/10.1007/bf02815155
Vancouver
de la Monte SM, Bloch KD. Aberrant expression of the constitutive endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene in Alzheimer disease. Molecular and chemical neuropathology. 1997. doi:10.1007/bf02815155. PMID: 9138425.
BibTeX
@article{delamonte1997-9138425,
author = {de la Monte, S. M. and Bloch, K. D.},
title = {{Aberrant expression of the constitutive endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene in Alzheimer disease}},
journal = {Molecular and chemical neuropathology},
year = {1997},
doi = {10.1007/bf02815155},
pmid = {9138425},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/bf02815155}
}
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here.
Later studies that cite this one
3 studies in the alzhub library list this one in their references.
Related studies in Down syndrome and Alzheimer's
Also tagged “down”
527 studies in the library carry the topic tag “down”; these are this study's neighbours in a fixed, alphabetical-by-hash tour of them, not the closest in content. All 527 tagged studies.