Loss of hippocampal [3H]TCP binding in Alzheimer's disease.
We have previously demonstrated a marked loss in N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex of patients dying with dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT). In addition, we have found that the dissociative anesthetic N-(1-[2-thienyl]cyclohexyl)3,4-piperidine ([3H]TCP) binds to a site whose regional distribution is highly correlated with that of NMDA receptor sites. We studied the binding of [3H]TCP to sections of hippocampi from 8 controls, 12 patients with DAT and 7 patients with other dementias. [3H]TCP binding was significantly reduced in strata pyramidalia of CA1/CA2, CA3 and subiculum of DAT hippocampal formation compared to that of control. Labelled dissociative anesthetics could potentially be used with positron emission tomography in the diagnosis of DAT.
D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000378:metabolism*; D001345:Autoradiography; D001665:Binding Sites; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D010622:Phencyclidine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000378:metabolism; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D017981:Receptors, Neurotransmitter / Q000378:metabolism
D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D017981:Receptors, Neurotransmitter; C012058:tenocyclidine; D010622:Phencyclidine