title: The ratio of acetylcholinesterase to butyrylcholinesterase influences the specificity of assays for each enzyme in human brain.
abstract: A single-vial extraction radiometric assay was used to measure acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase in human post-mortem brain tissue. Data are presented regarding the differential inhibition of acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase in several brain areas from a case of Alzheimer's disease and a case without neuropsychiatric disease. The results indicate that neither enzyme is entirely specific for its substrate, and the necessity for using inhibitors depends upon the ratio of acetylcholinesterase to butyrylcholinesterase in a particular sample.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Huff
authors.forename: C T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Reiter
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Rand
mesh_terms: D000110:Acetylcholinesterase / Q000378:metabolism*; D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000201:enzymology*; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D002091:Butyrylcholinesterase / Q000378:metabolism*; D002802:Cholinesterases / Q000378:metabolism*; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013379:Substrate Specificity
chemical_list: D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D000110:Acetylcholinesterase; D002091:Butyrylcholinesterase; D002802:Cholinesterases