DECREASED DOPAMINE UPTAKE INTO PLATELET STORAGE GRANULES IN GILLES-DE-LA-TOURETTE DISEASE

The movement disorder of Gilles de la Tourette (GdlT) disease may refl ect hyperactivity of the basal ganglionic dopamine system. Since plate lets have been suggested as peripheral models for the study of catecho lamine neurons, we developed a method to measure the uptake of [H-3]-D A into platelet storage granules (PSG). In the present report, PSG wer e incubated with [H-3] DA, and V-max and Km values were calculated by linear regression analysis (Lineweaver Burke plot). The uptake of DA ( 0.5-5 mu M) by PSG from 18 GdlT patients was significantly lower (p < .0001) compared to 15 controls (V-max mean +/- SD, 107.5 +/- 42.5 and 265.3 +/- 66.5 fmole/mg protein resp.). The decrease of DA uptake in G dlT may reflect compensatory presynaptic changes that reduce DA activi ty.