Effects of prolonged angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor treatment on amyloid beta-protein metabolism in mouse models of Alzheimer disease.

Genetic and pathologic studies have associated angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) with Alzheimer disease. Previously, we and others have reported that ACE degrades in vitro the amyloid beta-protein (Abeta), a putative upstream initiator of Alzheimer disease. These studies support the hypothesis that deficiency in ACE-mediated Abeta proteolysis could increase Alzheimer disease risk and raise the question of whether ACE inhibitors, a commonly prescribed class of anti-hypertensive medications, can elevate Abeta levels in vivo. To test this hypothesis, we administered the ACE inhibitor captopril to two lines of APP transgenic mice harboring either low levels of Abeta or high levels of Abeta with associated plaque deposition. In both models, we show that captopril does not affect cerebral Abeta levels in either soluble or insoluble pools. Furthermore, we find no change in plaque deposition or in peripheral Abeta levels. Data from these Alzheimer models suggest that captopril and similar ACE inhibitors do not cause Abeta accumulation in vivo.