title: Postmortem changes in binding to the muscarinic receptor from human cerebral cortex.
abstract: The effects of storage at 4 degrees C on the antagonist and agonist binding properties of the muscarinic acetylcholine receptor from fresh surgical and frozen autopsy samples from human cerebral cortex were studied. The number of L-[3H]3-quinuclidinyl benzilate binding sites and their affinities were stable up to 51 h, both when stored as pieces of intact nonfrozen tissue and as a homogenate. The agonist binding properties as measured by the ability of the muscarinic agonist carbachol to compete with L-[3H]3-quinuclidinyl benzilate were also stable up to 51 h when the tissue was stored in the form of pieces. The affinity for carbachol decreased when the tissue was stored as a homogenate. The frozen autopsy samples showed no significant differences in binding properties in comparison with fresh neurosurgical tissue.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011180:Postmortem Changes; D011813:Quinuclidinyl Benzilate / Q000378:metabolism; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic / Q000378:metabolism*; D011976:Receptors, Muscarinic / Q000378:metabolism*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic; D011976:Receptors, Muscarinic; D011813:Quinuclidinyl Benzilate