title: Abnormal neuroleptic/dopamine receptors in schizophrenia.
abstract: In order to test the dopamine hypothesis of schizophrenia, the neuroleptic/dopamine receptors in three dopamine-rich regions of 53 postmortem normal human brains and 42 schizophrenic brains were measured using 3H-haloperidol and 3H-spiperone. The binding of 2 nM 3H-haloperidol was significantly elevated in the caudate nucleus (90 +/- 10%) and the putamen (61 +/- 6%) from schizophrenic brains. The binding of 1 nM 3H-spiperone was also elevated by 50 +/- 7% in schizophrenic caudate and 47 +/- 8% in the putamen. The nucleus accumbens from schizophrenic brains revealed an enhanced binding of 110 to 115%. In those schizophrenic patients who had no history of being treated with neuroleptic drugs the brain regions also exhibited significantly higher (29-80%) binding of 3H-neuroleptics. The results are compatible with the hypothesis that schizophrenia may be associated with an overactivity of postsynaptic dopamine receptors.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001058:Apomorphine / Q000378:metabolism; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D002421:Caudate Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D006220:Haloperidol / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009714:Nucleus Accumbens / Q000378:metabolism; D011954:Receptors, Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism*; D013134:Spiperone / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D011954:Receptors, Dopamine; D013134:Spiperone; D006220:Haloperidol; D001058:Apomorphine