The binding of [3H]AF-DX 384 is reduced in the caudate-putamen of subjects with schizophrenia

Abstract

Clinical studies of cholinergic pharmacotherapy, together with the putative role of the muscarinic receptor system in the neurophysiology of human behavior, support a possible muscarinic cholinergic involvement in schizophrenia. The present study has measured the density of [3H]AF-DX 384 labelled receptors (muscarinic M2 and M4) in the caudate-putamen, obtained at autopsy, from 19 subjects who had schizophrenia, and 20 subjects who did not have schizophrenia. [3H]AF-DX 384 binding was reduced in caudate- putamen from schizophrenic subjects (104 ± 10.3 v(s) 145 ± 901 fmol mg-1 TE; mean ± s.e.; p = 0.007). Preliminary analysis of patient drug data as well as rat studies suggest that the reduce..