Impairment of brain neurotransmitter receptors in aged rats.

Dopamine and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor functions have been measured in various brain areas of aged rats. [3H] Spiroperidol binding is decreased in various dopaminergic brain areas, particularly in striatum and tuberculum olfactorium. In striatum the number of binding sites for [3H] spiroperidol is similar in both groups of animals, while the affinity is reduced in senescent rats. Moreover, in the pituitary a 50% increase of [3H] spiroperidol binding was detected in the group of senescent animals. On the other hand, [3H] GABA binding is significantly decreased in substantia nigra and hypothalamus of aged rats, while it is unmodified in cerebral cortex, cerebellum, striatum and nucleus accumbens.