Semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidase (SSAO) and its possible contribution to vascular damage in Alzheimer’s disease

One of the key pathological features of the progressive neurodegenerative disorder Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA). CAA is present in most cases of AD, and it is characterized by the deposition of β-amyloid (Aβ) in brain vessels, inducing the degeneration of vascular smooth muscle cells and endothelial cells. Herein we report that semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidase (SSAO) is overexpressed in cerebrovascular tissue of patients with AD-CAA, and that it colocalizes with β-amyloid deposits. This over-expression correlates with high SSAO activity in plasma of severe AD patients. In addition, we have observed that the catalytic activity of SSAO is able to induce apoptosis in smooth muscle cells in vitro. Taken together, these results allow us to postulate that SSAO may contribute to the vascular damage associated to AD.