Abstract
Perturbations in the developmental regulation of the dopaminergic system have been hypothesized to participate in the age-dependent onset of schizophrenia. Although data from studies of non-human primates suggest that dopamine D1-like receptors decrease during adolescence, less information is available concerning changes in human brain. The present study employed quantitative receptor autoradiography to measure D1-like receptor density and affinity in human caudate and putamen. Samples were obtained postmortem from 15 subjects (9 weeks to 49 years), and grouped a priori into three classes: infants, adolescents, and adults. Receptor density and affinity were assessed by saturation binding with [3H]-SCH23390, a D1 receptor antagonist. A decrease in D1 receptor density was observed from infancy to adulthood, with no change in receptor affinity. The temporal pattern of D1-like receptor expression during maturation may play a role in the interaction of dopamine with other neurotransmitter systems, and in the occurrence and pharmacotherapy of neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Montague, D., Lawler, C., Mailman, R. et al. Developmental Regulation of the Dopamine D1 Receptor in Human Caudate and Putamen. Neuropsychopharmacol 21, 641–649 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1016/S0893-133X(99)00062-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0893-133X(99)00062-7
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