Interleukin-1 and nerve growth factor induce hypersecretion and hypersulfation of neuroblastoma proteoglycans which bind beta-amyloid.

Inflammation and the response to injury may play an important role in the process of amyloidosis in Alzheimer's disease. We investigated the effect of interleukin-1 (IL-1) and nerve growth factor (NGF) on the metabolism of neuroblastoma proteoglycans. IL-1 and NGF increased the net charge and the net secretion of neuroblastoma proteoglycans. NGF also specifically increased the relative amount of cell-associated and secreted heparan sulfate proteoglycans in these cells. We previously demonstrated that neuroblastoma heparan sulfate proteoglycan binds specifically to the amyloid beta-amyloid peptide involved in Alzheimer's disease. Heparan sulfate glycosaminoglycans synthesized by IL-1-stimulated cells demonstrated an increased relative binding affinity for the beta-amyloid peptide. Thus, IL-1 and NGF induce the hypersecretion and hypersulfation of neuroblastoma heparan sulfate proteoglycans which bind beta-amyloid. These studies link the process of inflammation and repair with alterations in the metabolism of heparan sulfate proteoglycans and amyloid formation in Alzheimer's disease and other disorders.