Z. Kristofikova et al., (H-3)HEMICHOLINIUM-3 BINDING-SITES IN POSTMORTEM BRAINS OF HUMAN PATIENTS WITH ALZHEIMERS-DISEASE AND MULTIINFARCT DEMENTIA, Experimental gerontology, 30(2), 1995, pp. 125-136
(H-3)Hemicholinium-3 ((H-3)HCh-3), a potent, selective, and competitiv
e inhibitor of the high-affinity choline uptake process was used for t
he detection of high-affinity choline carriers in the hippocampus (gyr
us parahippocampalis), neocortex (gyrus frontalis medius), and cerebel
lum (lobulus semilunaris inferior) in autopsy samples of people with A
lzheimer's disease, multi-infarct dementia and from other psychiatric
and nonpsychiatric patients, The effect of postmortem delay was elimin
ated by means of the cerebellum used as an individual standard. The de
nsity of (H-3)HCh-3 binding sites was decreased in the hippocampus and
neocortex from individuals with multi-infarct dementia and unchanged
in the brain tissue from people with Alzheimer's disease in comparison
with control patients. No changes in dissociation constants were foun
d. In Alzheimer's disease, high-affinity choline transport appears to
be reduced by a dysfunction of cholinergic neuronal membrane rather th
an by a significant decrease in the number of presynaptic cholinergic
nerve terminals. Results provide evidence of a decrease in the number
of nerve endings in people with multi-infarct dementia and suggest dif
ferent vulnerability of particular brain areas to vascular disorders.