Increased hippocampal quinone reductase 2 in Alzheimer's disease.

Quinone reductase 2 (QR2), a detoxifying cytosolic flavoenzyme, is thought to play an important role in the acquisition and loss of memory. We determined the amount of QR2 in the hippocampus, amygdala, and superior frontal gyrus of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients with dementia by using western blot analysis. The level of QR2 was significantly higher in the hippocampus of AD patients than in that of the control subjects. The relation between QR2 and AD has not yet been determined; however, our results suggest that the increase in hippocampal QR2 might be a cause of AD or might promote the progression of AD by causing an increase in the toxic quinone levels and consequent loss of cognitive function.