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Alterations in receptors for thyrotropin-releasing hormone, serotonin, and acetylcholine in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Cardiovascular-Pulmonary Division, Department of Medicine (Dr. Manaker), and Departments of Pharmacology (Mr. Caine and Dr. Winokur), and Psychiatry (Dr. Winokur), University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.

We utilized quantitative autoradiography to examine thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) receptors, serotonin type 1A (5-HT1A) receptors, muscarinic cholinergic receptors, choline uptake sites, beta-adrenergic receptors, and norepinephrine uptake sites in discrete laminae of spinal cord from patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and non-neurologic controls. We found decreases of over 50% in the concentration of TRH receptors in lamina IX of cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spinal cord from ALS patients. Similar reductions were noted in concentrations of muscarinic cholinergic receptors in lamina IX of spinal cords from ALS patients. Significant increases of up to 140% in 5-HT1A receptor densities were noted in lamina IX of spinal cords from ALS patients. No differences were noted between the concentrations of beta-adrenergic receptors or norepinephrine uptake sites in patients with ALS and controls. These findings suggest that TRH and 5-HT may be involved in the pathophysiology of ALS, and act in a comodulatory role in the normal spinal cord.

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Manaker, Cardiovascular-Pulmonary Division, Department of Medicine, 971 Maloney Building, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 36th and Spruce Streets, Philadelphia, PA 19104.

Portions of this work have been supported by Medical Scientist Training Program NIH5-T32-GM07170 and NHLBI T32-HL07000–12 to S.M., and NIMH Research Scientist Award MH00044, NIH NS 19597, and a grant from the ALS Foundation to A.W.

Received December 3, 1987. Accepted for publication in final form February 8, 1988.

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