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Increased monoamine oxidase B activity in plaque-associated astrocytes of Alzheimer brains revealed by quantitative enzyme radioautography
Saura J, Luque JM, Cesura AM, Da Prada M, Chan-Palay V, Huber G, Löffler J, Richards JG.. Neuroscience, 1994-09-01
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
The aetiology and pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease are currently poorly understood, but symptomatic disease is associated with amyloid plaques, neurofibrillary tangles, neuronal loss and numerous alterations of neurotransmitter systems in the CNS. Monoamine oxidase type B is known to be increased in Alzheimer diseased brains. The distribution and abundance of catalytic sites for monoamine oxidases A and B in post mortem human brains of 11 Alzheimer disease cases and five age-matched controls were investigated by quantitative enzyme radioautography.
Key findings
- Monoamine oxidase type B is known to be increased in Alzheimer diseased brains.
- The distribution and abundance of catalytic sites for monoamine oxidases A and B in post mortem human brains of 11 Alzheimer disease cases and five age-matched controls were investigated by quantitative enzyme radioautography.
- Using tritiated monoamine oxidase inhibitors (Ro41-1049 and lazabemide)--as high affinity substrates selective for monoamine oxidases A and B, respectively--it was found that monoamine oxidase B activity increased up to three-fold exclusively in temporal, parietal and frontal cortices of Alzheimer disease cases compared with controls.
- This increase was restricted to discrete patches (approximately 185 microns in diameter) which occupied approximately 12% of the cortical areas examined.
Why it matters
In postmortem brains from 11 Alzheimer's cases and five controls, monoamine oxidase B was increased in plaque-associated astrocytes. This describes a brain change and does not test any treatment or prevention.
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 42/100
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 (Neuroscience) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Neuroscience: journal h-index 370 (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 | 1994 — 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 | 6 / 7 | Cited 385 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 11.3 citations a year over 34 year(s) since 1994 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 4.3× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 8 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 33 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author John Grayson Richards: h-index 40 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | Roche (Switzerland): institution h-index 638 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 7816197) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 42 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
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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. The record names 8 authors; APA and Vancouver show the first six, BibTeX and the downloads carry all of them. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Saura, J., Luque, J. M., Cesura, A. M., Da Prada, M., Chan-Palay, V., Huber, G., et al. (1994). Increased monoamine oxidase B activity in plaque-associated astrocytes of Alzheimer brains revealed by quantitative enzyme radioautography. Neuroscience. https://doi.org/10.1016/0306-4522(94)90311-5
Vancouver
Saura J, Luque JM, Cesura AM, Da Prada M, Chan-Palay V, Huber G, et al. Increased monoamine oxidase B activity in plaque-associated astrocytes of Alzheimer brains revealed by quantitative enzyme radioautography. Neuroscience. 1994. doi:10.1016/0306-4522(94)90311-5. PMID: 7816197.
BibTeX
@article{saura1994-7816197,
author = {Saura, J. and Luque, J. M. and Cesura, A. M. and Da Prada, M. and Chan-Palay, V. and Huber, G. and Löffler, J. and Richards, J. G.},
title = {{Increased monoamine oxidase B activity in plaque-associated astrocytes of Alzheimer brains revealed by quantitative enzyme radioautography}},
journal = {Neuroscience},
year = {1994},
doi = {10.1016/0306-4522(94)90311-5},
pmid = {7816197},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/0306-4522(94)90311-5}
}
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