CHANGES IN AMINERGIC RECEPTORS IN A PSP POSTMORTEM BRAIN - CORRELATION WITH PATHOLOGICAL FINDINGS

The state of different aminergic receptors was assessed, by quantitati ve autoradiography in tissue sections, in several representative brain regions from a typical progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) patient a nd from 9 matched brains. The densities of muscarinic receptors were w ithin control limits in most of the brain areas of this PSP brain. Ser otonin, receptors were clearly reduced only in areas with very relevan t neuropathological damage, such as locus niger and globus pallidus. T he density of D-1 dopamine receptors in the caudate-putamen and fronta l cortex of the patient was within control limits. By contrast, nigral D-1 and striatal D-2 dopamine receptors were dramatically reduced in the patient as compared to controls. Finally, alpha(2)-adrenoceptors w ere clearly reduced in all the examined areas of this PSP patient as c ompared to control group. Both the potential role of these receptor ch anges in the pathophysiology of the clinical features of PSP and their correlation with the neuropathological findings of this PSP patient a re discussed.