Immunohistochemical studies of dopamine receptor subtypes in schizophrenic brain by using anti-subtype specipfic peptide antibodies

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

In order to investigate the possible involvement of dopamine receptor subtyeps in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia, we performed immunohistochemical studies of autopied brains by using anti-subtype specfic pepetide antibodies.We obtained rabbit antibodies to dopamine D2, D3, D4 receptors with high titers. Their specificity was verified by an ELISA assay. Anti-D2 and D4 antiboies immunostained various parts of rat brains, when the tisuues were fixed in Bouin solution and embedded in paraffin. We found the recovery of antigenicity of D4 receptor in formalin-fixed, parffinembedded brain sections after autoclaving the sections.We ezamined the hippocampal formation of brains of 9 mael patients with schizophrenia (according to DSM-III-R criteria) and 9 age-matched male persons. D4 immunoreactivity was mainly found around neurons of end plate and shafts of dendrorites of C3 pyramidal cells. That the immunoreactivity was localized in presynapsis was confirmed by a double immunostaining assay for D4 and synaptophisin. Despite of the close and intesive inspection we were unable to detect definit differences in the distribution, pattern or intensity of D4 immunoreactivity between tissues of schizophenics and controls.