Abeta production as consequence of cellular death of a human neuroblastoma overexpressing APP.

In human brain the Abeta peptide is produced mainly by neurons and the overexpression of amyloid precursor protein (APP) that involves an increase in Abeta secretion, has been observed in some areas of the Alzheimer's disease patients brain. We have generated two stably transfected human neuroblastoma lines which overexpress APP; both of them secreted Abeta and showed morphological changes and cell death with apoptotic program characteristics. Interestingly, coculture experiments with the untransfected human neuroblastoma cell line showed that the Abeta peptide was not responsible for the death in those cell lines; additionally, we indicate that upon cell death, Abeta peptide is secreted into cell medium.