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Cerebral deposition of beta-amyloid (Abeta) is an invariant event of Alzheimer's disease (AD). We recently described that the brain of aged transgenic mice expressing anti-nerve growth factor (NGF) antibodies (AD11 mice) show a dramatic neurodegenerative phenotype, reminiscent of AD, which includes neuronal loss, cholinergic deficit, and tau hyperphosphorylation, associated with neurofibrillary pathology. We now report that brains of aged transgenic mice contain large amounts of beta-amyloid plaques and describe their morphology by a variety of approaches. In conclusion, the chronic deprivation of NGF leads to the formation and deposition of Abeta in AD11 mice, suggesting a direct link between NGF signaling and abnormal processing of amyloid precursor protein.

A focal atherosclerotic plaque was induced in the aortas of New Zealand White female rabbits by a balloon injury and an atherogenic diet. Under general anesthesia and systemic heparinization, endarterectomy was performed using the operating microscope. Animals were sacrificed at 5, 10, 20, and 60 min following the endarterectomy and operated aortic segments were perfused and examined using scanning electron microscopy. Each segment was compared to a similar segment of endarterectomized aorta from a normal, nonatherosclerotic rabbit. Thrombus formation including aggregated platelets, red cells, and fibrin was found to be more pronounced in the atherosclerotic segments. Ten more atherosclerotic rabbits underwent identical procedures except that heparin was reversed using protamine sulfate 5 min following the endarterectomy. When these specimens were compared to a similar atherosclerotic group without heparin reversal, it was evident that a tremendous thrombogenic process had taken place in the "reversed" segments. This study suggests that atherosclerosis may alter thrombogenesis following an operative vascular procedure and that early reversal of heparin following an endarterectomy should be viewed with caution.

Extracranial to intracranial (EC/IC) microvascular bypass grafts are being performed with increasing frequency for the treatment of cerebral ischemia due to "inaccessible" cerebrovascular disease including carotid artery occlusion and middle cerebral artery occlusion and stenosis. Patency rates, complications, and indications for superficial temporal to middle cerebral artery (STA-MCA) bypass are discussed. EC/IC bypasses can reduce or completely arrest TIAs in selected patients. The long term effect on stroke protection of a functioning STA-MCA bypass is now the subject of multinational controlled investigation.