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44/100

✓ Peer-reviewed alzhub usefulness score 44 out of 100. Risk genes beyond APOE

Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models

Plain-language summary

Epidemiological studies suggest that statins (hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA reductase inhibitors) could reduce the risk of Alzheimer disease. Although one possible explanation is through an effect on beta-amyloid (Abeta) metabolism, its effect remains to be elucidated. Here, we explored the molecular mechanisms of how statins influence Abeta metabolism.

What this study adds

Evidence grade: Low

In mice, fluvastatin reduced brain amyloid-beta and APP C-terminal fragment levels, and this effect was blocked by lysosomal inhibitors. This is an animal study and does not establish any treatment, cure, or prevention for Alzheimer's disease in humans.

Taken from this record’s own fields, not from reading the paper. The grade is assigned from the abstract’s wording; what that means.

Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris

APA 7th

Shinohara, M., Sato, N., Kurinami, H., Takeuchi, D., Takeda, S., Shimamura, M., et al. (2010). Reduction of brain beta-amyloid (Abeta) by fluvastatin, a hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA reductase inhibitor, through increase in degradation of amyloid precursor protein C-terminal fragments (APP-CTFs) and Abeta clearance. The Journal of biological chemistry. https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.m110.102277

Vancouver

Shinohara M, Sato N, Kurinami H, Takeuchi D, Takeda S, Shimamura M, et al. Reduction of brain beta-amyloid (Abeta) by fluvastatin, a hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA reductase inhibitor, through increase in degradation of amyloid precursor protein C-terminal fragments (APP-CTFs) and Abeta clearance. The Journal of biological chemistry. 2010. doi:10.1074/jbc.m110.102277. PMID: 20472556.

BibTeX

@article{shinohara2010-20472556,
  author  = {Shinohara, M. and Sato, N. and Kurinami, H. and Takeuchi, D. and Takeda, S. and Shimamura, M. and Yamashita, T. and Uchiyama, Y. and others},
  title   = {{Reduction of brain beta-amyloid (Abeta) by fluvastatin, a hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA reductase inhibitor, through increase in degradation of amyloid precursor protein C-terminal fragments (APP-CTFs) and Abeta clearance}},
  journal = {The Journal of biological chemistry},
  year    = {2010},
  doi     = {10.1074/jbc.m110.102277},
  pmid    = {20472556},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.m110.102277}
}

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's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.

How to read this study

Design: our record does not state a study design, so check the methods section of the original before weighing the result.
Size: the record gives no participant count. Look for one in the original before trusting a pattern.
Effect: the record gives no effect size, so the summary above cannot say how large any difference was.

What the evidence grade means here

This page is graded low. alzhub.org assigns the grade automatically from keywords in the abstract, not from reading the paper. Low means the abstract matched neither pattern. It is the default label, and it does not mean the work is poor; many sound lab and imaging papers land here. It can add at most 5 of the 100 points in the study score, and it is a label about design, not a verdict on whether the findings are true.

New to reading papers? Six questions to ask of any Alzheimer’s study · how we score.

Key findings

Although one possible explanation is through an effect on beta-amyloid (Abeta) metabolism, its effect remains to be elucidated.
Here, we explored the molecular mechanisms of how statins influence Abeta metabolism.
Fluvastatin at clinical doses significantly reduced Abeta and amyloid precursor protein C-terminal fragment (APP-CTF) levels among APP metabolites in the brain of C57BL/6 mice.
Chronic intracerebroventricular infusion of lysosomal inhibitors blocked these effects, indicating that up-regulation of the lysosomal degradation of endogenous APP-CTFs is involved in reduced Abeta production.

Why it matters

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Study details

Evidence strengthLow

How this study scored 44/100

Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomized / blinded because the record does not state it.

Component	Points	Why
Journal tier	7 / 10	Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (The Journal of biological chemistry)
Journal's citation record	4 / 4	Journal of Biological Chemistry: journal h-index 780 (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	2010 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here
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)
Randomized / blinded	0 / 2	No randomization or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0)
Times cited	5 / 7	Cited 117 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10)
Citations per year	2 / 5	6.5 citations a year over 18 year(s) since 2010
Impact for its field and year	3 / 6	Cited 5.0× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI)
Cited by studies here	2 / 6	Cited by 9 other studies in this library
Still being cited	2 / 4	Cited 17 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex)
Senior author's track record	3 / 4	Last-listed author Ryuichi Morishita: h-index 90 (OpenAlex, whole career)
Institution's track record	1 / 3	The University of Osaka: institution h-index 1,138 (OpenAlex)
Multicenter collaboration	1 / 3	OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country
Indexed in PubMed	2 / 2	Indexed in PubMed (PMID 20472556)
Free to read	0 / 2	Behind a paywall — scores zero
Total	44 / 100	—

What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →

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