title: Decreased (3H) quinuclidinyl benzilate binding to lymphocytes in Gilles de la Tourette syndrome.
abstract: In spite of an unknown pathophysiology, it has been suggested that central dopaminergic hyperactivity exists in Gilles de la Tourette syndrome (TS). Cholinergic influences have also been postulated as a dopaminergic-cholinergic balance seems to be important in other movement disorders. If TS is due to alterations of cholinergic activity, this may also be expressed at postsynaptic levels. Recently, we showed that circulating lymphocytes may serve as useful peripheral markers reflecting induced alterations or inherent changes in muscarinic receptors in the central nervous system (CNS). In the present study, we compared the muscarinic binding characteristics in peripheral lymphocytes as measured by (3H) quinuclidinyl benzilate [(3H)-QNB] in 27 unmedicated TS patients, against 22 healthy (age and gender-matched) controls. B(max) and Kd values were determined using Lineweaver-Burke plots. The mean B(max) values in nontreated TS patients was markedly and significantly lower than in controls (10.59 +/- 8.4 versus 40.16 +/- 9.2 fmole/10(6) cells, p less than 10(-6), while Kd values were similar in both groups. Our findings suggest that changes in cholinergic receptors may play a role in the pathophysiology of Tourette syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Ichilov Hospital, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Israel.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Rabey
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Graff
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Korczyn
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D011813:Quinuclidinyl Benzilate / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D011869:Radioligand Assay; D011976:Receptors, Muscarinic / Q000502:physiology*; D005879:Tourette Syndrome / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D011976:Receptors, Muscarinic; C028484:quinuclidinyl benzilate receptor; D011813:Quinuclidinyl Benzilate