Nicotinic acetylcholine binding sites in Alzheimer's disease

Brain Res. 1986 Apr 16;371(1):146-51. doi: 10.1016/0006-8993(86)90819-x.

Abstract

In Alzheimer's disease (AD), there is a loss of presynaptic cholinergic markers in the cerebral cortex, but the nature of cholinergic receptor changes is unclear. In this study, [3H]acetylcholine and [3H]nicotine were used to label nicotinic cholinergic binding sites in cerebral cortical tissues obtained at autopsy from patients with AD and from matched controls. A consistent and severe loss of nicotinic receptors was found in AD.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Acetylcholine / metabolism
  • Aged
  • Alzheimer Disease / drug therapy
  • Alzheimer Disease / enzymology
  • Alzheimer Disease / metabolism*
  • Cerebral Cortex / analysis*
  • Cerebral Cortex / enzymology
  • Cerebral Cortex / metabolism
  • Choline O-Acetyltransferase / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Nicotine / metabolism
  • Receptors, Nicotinic / analysis*

Substances

  • Receptors, Nicotinic
  • Nicotine
  • Choline O-Acetyltransferase
  • Acetylcholine