CHANGES IN PROTEIN-KINASE-C AND ADENYLATE-CYCLASE IN THE TEMPORAL-LOBE FROM SUBJECTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA

Changes in G-protein linked neurotransmitter receptors have been repor ted in a number of regions of the brain of schizophrenic subjects. The se changes, if functional, could cause a change in proteins such as pr otein kinase C (PKC) and adenylate cyclase (AC) which are important co mponents of the G-protein linked second messenger cascades. We therefo re used autoradiography to measure the distribution and density of [3( H)]phorbol ester binding to PKC and [H-3]forskolin binding to AC in ti ssue obtained at autopsy from schizophrenic and non-schizophrenic subj ects (Controls). There were significant decreases in the density of PK C in the parahippocampal gyrus (687 +/- 60 vs. 885 +/- 51 fmol/mg TE; mean +/- SEM; p < 0.01) and in AC in the dentate gyrus (75 +/- 4.9 vs. 92 +/- 6.5, p < 0.05) from the schizophrenic subjects. These data cou ld indicate that changes in neurotransmitter receptors in the hippocam pus from subjects with schizophrenia could have resulted in a change i n their associated second messenger systems.