Neurotensin receptor binding abnormalities in the entorhinal cortex in schizophrenia and affective disorders.
BACKGROUND
Convergent evidence from in vivo and in vitro studies of schizophrenia have implicated the mesial temporal lobe as a primary site of pathological change in this disorder. We have previously reported decreased neurotensin receptor density in layer II of the intermediate entorhinal cortex (ERC) in schizophrenia, a finding seen elsewhere but not seen in more caudal ERC.


METHODS
To study neuroanatomic and diagnostic specificity, we measured the density of neurotensin receptors in the intermediate and caudal ERC and hippocampal formation of schizophrenic, affective disorder control subjects, and normal control subjects. Slide-based radioligand binding was used to perform these studies.


RESULTS
Not only schizophrenic but also affective disorder subjects had decreased neurotensin receptor density in layer II of the intermediate ERC. Affective disorder subjects had significantly decreased neurotensin receptor density in layers V/VI of the intermediate ERC, and schizophrenic subjects trended in the same direction.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings demonstrate region-specific changes in neurotensin receptor binding levels in the mesial temporal lobe; however, there is no clear diagnostic specificity for these changes, because they were seen to varying degrees in both schizophrenia and affective disorders.
Hamid
Emad H
EH
Clinical Brain Disorders Branch-IRP, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Building 10 Room 4S237A, MSC 1379, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
Hyde
Thomas M
TM
Egan
Michael F
MF
Wolf
Steve S
SS
Herman
Mary M
MM
Nemeroff
Charles B
CB
Kleinman
Joel E
JE
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001667:Binding, Competitive; D002452:Cell Count; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D018728:Entorhinal Cortex / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000378:metabolism*; D018028:Receptors, Neurotensin / Q000378:metabolism*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000378:metabolism*
D018028:Receptors, Neurotensin