title: Changes in beta-adrenergic receptor subtypes in Alzheimer-type dementia.
abstract: Using ligand binding techniques, we studied beta-adrenergic receptor subtypes in brains obtained at autopsy from seven histologically normal controls and seven histopathologically verified cases with Alzheimer-type dementia (ATD). Inhibition of [3H]dihydroalprenolol [( 3H]DHA) binding by the selective beta 1 antagonist, metoprolol, results in nonlinear Hofstee plots, suggesting the presence of the two receptor subtypes in the human brain. The calculated ratios of beta 1/beta 2-adrenergic receptors in control brains are as follows: frontal cortex, 49:51; temporal cortex, 31:69; hippocampus, 66:34; thalamus, 23:77; putamen, 70:30; caudate, 48:52; nucleus basalis of Meynert (NbM), 43:57; cerebellar hemisphere, 25:75. Compared with the controls, total concentrations of beta-adrenergic receptors were significantly reduced only in the thalamus of the ATD brains. beta 1-Adrenergic receptor concentrations were significantly reduced in the hippocampus and increased in the NbM and cerebellar hemisphere, whereas beta 2-adrenergic receptor concentrations were significantly reduced in the thalamus, NbM, and cerebellar hemisphere and increased in the hippocampus and putamen of the ATD brains. These results suggest that beta 1- and beta 2-adrenergic receptors are present in the human brain and that there are significant changes in both receptor subtypes in selected brain regions in patients with ATD.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000378:metabolism*; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000378:metabolism; D004082:Dihydroalprenolol / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008790:Metoprolol / Q000494:pharmacology; D011699:Putamen / Q000378:metabolism; D011943:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000378:metabolism; D013788:Thalamus / Q000378:metabolism; D014018:Tissue Distribution
chemical_list: D011943:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta; D004082:Dihydroalprenolol; D008790:Metoprolol