title: Muscarinic receptor compensation in hippocampus of Alzheimer patients.
abstract: The activity of the acetylcholine synthesizing enzyme choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) (presynaptic marker) and number of muscarine-like receptor binding sites have been measured in the hippocampus from eight individuals with senile dementia of Alzheimer type (SDAT) and ten controls. A negative correlation (r = 0.80; p less than 0.05) was found between the ChAT activity and the number of muscarine-like receptors in the SDAT group but not in the controls. The findings might indicate an ongoing compensatory receptor mechanism as a response to changes in presynaptic cholinergic activity.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism; D003704:Dementia / Q000378:metabolism*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000032:analysis* / Q000201:enzymology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011813:Quinuclidinyl Benzilate; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic / Q000032:analysis*; D011976:Receptors, Muscarinic / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic; D011976:Receptors, Muscarinic; D011813:Quinuclidinyl Benzilate; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase