Immunohistochemical detection of the delayed formation of nonfibrillar large amyloid-β aggregates.

The occurrence of senile plaques consisting of amyloid-β protein (Aβ) is a major neuropathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD). We previously developed and characterized monoclonal antibodies 31-2 and 75-2 that specifically bind to nonfibrillar Aβ1-42 aggregates with diameters of more than 220 and 50 nm, respectively. Here, we report the use of these antibodies to examine the aggregation of exogenous Aβ1-42 in cultured rat hippocampal neurons.