title: Extraneural cholinergic markers in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.
abstract: Muscarinic and nicotinic binding sites were analysed in lymphocytes from patients with Alzheimer's disease, Multi-infarct dementia, Parkinson's disease and age- matched controls. A significant decrease in the number of both muscarinic and nicotinic binding sites was obtained in lymphocytes from Alzheimer patients while in Parkinson patients a significant decrease was found only in the nicotinic binding sites. Using butyrylthiocholine as substrate, no change was observed in cholinesterase activity in plasma from Alzheimer patients, whereas a significant decrease in plasma cholinesterase activity was found in Parkinson patients.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000378:metabolism*; D002802:Cholinesterases / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000032:analysis; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000378:metabolism*; D011976:Receptors, Muscarinic / Q000032:analysis*; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D011976:Receptors, Muscarinic; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic; D002802:Cholinesterases