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Title: Platelet peripheral benzodiazepine receptors are decreased in Parkinson's disease

Journal Article · · Life Sciences; (USA)

Peripheral benzodiazepine (BDZ) receptors are located in a variety of tissues, including platelets, in the nuclear and/or mitochondrial membranes. The authors studied the density of peripheral BDZ receptors in platelets of 10 de novo Parkinson's disease (PD) patients, 18 PD patients treated with a levodopa/carbidopa combination, and in 15 healthy subjects matched for sex and age. The binding assay was conducted using ({sup 3}H)PK 11195, a specific ligand for peripheral BDZ receptors. A significant decrease in the density of ({sup 3}H)PK 11195 binding sites has been observed in PD patients with respect to controls but not between de novo and treated PD patients. No correlation has been found between the decrease in density of ({sup 3}H)PK 11195 binding sites in platelets and either the duration or severity of PD. Peripheral BDZ receptors are implicated in the regulation of mitochondrial respiratory function. Thus, their decrease in PD might parallel the abnormalities in mitochondrial function recently found in this neurologic disease.

OSTI ID:
5915649
Journal Information:
Life Sciences; (USA), Vol. 48:12; ISSN 0024-3205
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English