Tritiated etorphine and naloxone binding to opioid receptors in caudate nucleus in schizophrenia.
Opioid receptor binding sites were assessed in membrane preparations of caudate nucleus from post-mortem brains of controls and of patients with schizophrenia. There was no difference between the two groups in the total specific binding of 3H-etorphine or in its 'mu' and ('delta + kappa') components. Similarly, the binding of 3H-naloxone did not differ between patients and controls. It is concluded that a previous report of reduced opioid receptors in caudate of schizophrenics is unlikely to prove a consistent finding and that the results of the present study offer no support to the claim that there is a general disturbance in opiate mechanisms in schizophrenia.
Owen
F
F
Bourne
R C
RC
Poulter
M
M
Crow
T J
TJ
Paterson
S J
SJ
Kosterlitz
H W
HW
D000368:Aged; D002421:Caudate Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism*; D005048:Etorphine / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009019:Morphinans / Q000378:metabolism*; D009270:Naloxone / Q000378:metabolism*; D011957:Receptors, Opioid / Q000378:metabolism*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000378:metabolism*; D014316:Tritium
D009019:Morphinans; D011957:Receptors, Opioid; D014316:Tritium; D009270:Naloxone; D005048:Etorphine