The relationship among amyloid-β deposition, sphingomyelin level, and the expression and function of P-glycoprotein in Alzheimer's disease pathological process.

In Alzheimer's disease, the transporter P-glycoprotein is responsible for the clearance of amyloid-β in the brain. Amyloid-β correlates with the sphingomyelin metabolism, and sphingomyelin participates in the regulation of P-glycoprotein. The amyloid cascade hypothesis describes amyloid-β as the central cause of Alzheimer's disease neuropathology.