Age-dependent decrease in the affinity of muscarinic M1 receptors in neocortex of rhesus monkeys.

In vitro autoradiography on tissue sections and receptor assay in cortical membrane homogenates revealed that pirenzepine high-affinity muscarinic sites (M1) decrease in affinity in the prefrontal cortex and in other cortical areas of aged rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta). Carbachol competition experiments detected only a single, low-affinity class of sites in old monkeys, while two classes of sites (low and high affinity) were observed in young adults. The change in affinity in the aged monkeys is not accompanied by a decrease in the density of these sites and, further, the age-related decline in the affinity of the M1 site is reversible. In the presence of Mg2+, the M1 muscarinic receptors in the aged monkeys were capable of forming carbachol high-affinity sites. These results provide evidence for age-dependent functional changes in receptor activity in cerebral cortex and indicate that these receptors maintain a degree of plasticity that could be a strategic target for research aimed at treatment of memory disorders in aged humans.