[3H]Neurotensin receptor densities in human postmortem brain tissue obtained from normal and schizophrenic persons. An autoradiographic study.

[3H]Neurotensin binding and autoradiographic techniques were used to determine the distribution and density of neurotensin receptors in normal and schizophrenic postmortem brain tissue. Coronal hemi-brain blocks of tissue were cut at the level of the caudate and hippocampus from frozen brain tissue obtained from normal individuals with no known psychiatric or neurologic illnesses and from schizophrenic subjects off- or on-antipsychotic drugs at the time of death. Each hemi-block was further divided, sectioned, thaw mounted on to slides, incubated with [3H]neurotensin and apposed to film. Digitized images were analyzed for binding densities. Areas of intense binding include the substantia nigra, the entorhinal cortex, superficial layers of the cingulate, middle frontal, and insular cortices; and with moderate binding in nucleus accumbens, and caudate. Schizophrenic patients off- (3 months or more) or on-antipsychotic drugs at the time of death were tested; all patients showed a reduced level of neurotensin receptors in the caudate (68% of normals), cingulate (34%) and prefrontal cortices (25%).