title: Cholinergic markers in ALS spinal cord.
abstract: We analyzed binding sites for quinuclidinyl benzilate (QNB) and hemicholinium-3 (HC-3) by quantitative slice autoradiography and the activities of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in spinal cord of 5-7 patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In the ventral horn, QNB binding sites were markedly reduced (38% of controls; P less than 0.001), whereas HC-3 binding sites were only moderately affected (76%, P less than 0.01). Losses in cholinergic marker enzymes were inconsistent. The loss of muscarinic binding sites in the ventral horn was the most reliable cholinergic disease marker in ALS.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biochemical Pharmacology, University of Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Berger
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Veitl
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Malessa
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sluga
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Hornykiewicz
mesh_terms: D000110:Acetylcholinesterase / Q000032:analysis*; D000368:Aged; D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D015415:Biomarkers; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase / Q000032:analysis*; D002799:Cholinergic Fibers / Q000737:chemistry; D006426:Hemicholinium 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008875:Middle Aged; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D011813:Quinuclidinyl Benzilate / Q000378:metabolism; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic / Q000032:analysis*; D011976:Receptors, Muscarinic / Q000032:analysis*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic; D011976:Receptors, Muscarinic; C028484:quinuclidinyl benzilate receptor; D006426:Hemicholinium 3; D011813:Quinuclidinyl Benzilate; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase; D000110:Acetylcholinesterase