Molecular imaging of amyloid beta peptides in mouse brain sections using mass spectrometry.

A method is presented for direct spatial analysis of amyloid beta peptides in biological tissue sections. The technique takes advantage of the very high sensitivity of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry and is implemented on a commercial instrument with modifications to only a few components and the software. With this setup, hundreds of molecular images can be generated simultaneously and within just a few minutes. The current features are an instrumental resolution of 50 microm and a sensitivity down to the attomol range. This new technology is applied to the study of amyloid beta peptide distribution in brain sections from mice, showing features reminiscent of Alzheimer's disease. Copyright 2002 Elsevier Science (USA)