Striatal monoaminergic terminals in Lewy body and Alzheimer's dementias.
Vesicular monoamine transporter type 2 and benzodiazepine binding site expressions were examined with quantitative autoradiography in postmortem striata from 19 patients with dementia with Lewy bodies, seven patients with dementia with Lewy bodies and Alzheimer's disease, 12 patients with Alzheimer's disease, and eight neurologically normal subjects. Striatal vesicular monoamine transporter type 2 expression in dementia with Lewy bodies and in dementia with Lewy bodies plus Alzheimer's disease was reduced significantly, indicating degeneration of nigrostriatal projections. Striatal benzodiazepine binding site expression was unchanged, indicating preserved intrinsic striatal neuropil. Vesicular monoamine transporter type 2 and benzodiazepine binding site expressions were each preserved in Alzheimer's disease striatum. We conclude that dementia with Lewy bodies may be distinguished from Alzheimer's disease by postmortem examination or by future in vivo measurements of the striatal vesicular monoamine transporter type 2.
Department of Radiology (Nuclear Medicine), University of Michigan, 1500 East Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0028, USA.
Masahiko
M
Suzuki
Timothy J
TJ
Desmond
Roger L
RL
Albin
Kirk A
KA
Frey
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000473:pathology*; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020961:Lewy Body Disease / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000032:analysis*; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D009474:Neurons / Q000737:chemistry*; D009479:Neuropeptides; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000032:analysis; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A / Q000032:analysis; D050492:Vesicular Biogenic Amine Transport Proteins; D050493:Vesicular Monoamine Transport Proteins
D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D009479:Neuropeptides; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A; C493452:SLC18A2 protein, human; D050492:Vesicular Biogenic Amine Transport Proteins; D050493:Vesicular Monoamine Transport Proteins