Zinc released from excited glutamatergic neurons accelerates amyloidՂ(AՂ)aggregation, underscoring the therapeutic potential of zinc chelation for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Zinc can also alter AՂconcentration by affecting its degradation. In order to elucidate the possible role of zinc influx in secretase-processed AՂproduction, SH-SY5Y cells stably expressing amyloid precursor protein (APP) were treated with pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC), a zinc ionophore, and the resultant changes in APP processing were examined. PDTC decreased AՂ40 and AՂ42 concentrations in culture media bathing APP-expressing SH-SY5Y cells. Measuring the levels of a series of C-terminal APP fragments generated by enzymatic cutting at different APP-cleavage sites showed that both Ղ- and Ձ-cleavage of APP were inhibited by zinc influx. PDTC also interfered with the maturation of APP. PDTC, however, paradoxically increased the intracellular levels of AՂ40. These results indicate that inhibition of secretase-mediated APP cleavage accounts-at least in part- for zinc inhibition of AՂ secretion.