Amyloid-β deposition transgenic mice: Possible model of inclusion body myopathy

Inclusion body myopathy is a progressive muscle disorder characterized by nuclear and cytoplasmic inclusions and vacuolation of muscle fibers. Affected muscle fibers contain deposits of congophilic amyloid, amyloid-β immunoreactive filaments, and paired helical filaments, all of which are pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease in brain. Accumulations of amyloid-β and its precursor are thought to play important roles in the pathogenesis of both inclusion body myopathy and Alzheimer's disease. Overexpression of mutant forms of β protein precursor in transgenic mice by neuron-specific promoters has been reported to cause amyloid deposits in the brain. Here we report that overexpression in transgenic mice of the signal plus 99-amino acid carboxyl-terminal sequences of β protein precursor, under the control of a cytomegalovirus enhancer/β-actin promoter, resulted in vacuolation and increasing accumulation of the 4-kd amyloid-β and the carboxyl-terminus in skeletal muscle fibers during aging. These deposits in transgenic muscle only rarely showed Congo red bi-refringence. Thus, overexpression of part of β protein precursor in transgenic mice led to development of some of the characteristic features of inclusion body myopathy. These mice may be a useful model of inclusion body myopathy, which shares a number of pathological markers with Alzheimer's disease.