| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
NISHIMURA Akiyoshi Dept. of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Fujita Health University, Associate Professor, 医学部, 助教授 (60283561)
NAGATSU Ikuko Dept. of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Fujita Health University, Professor, 医学部, 教授 (80084573)
ARAI Ryohachi Dept. of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Fujita Health University, Professor, 医学部, 教授 (20159487)
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| Research Abstract |
Monoamines are related to higher mental functions, and it is assumed that schizophrenic patients have dysfunctions of monoamine neuronal systems. In this study, monoamine neuronal systems of normal controls and schizophrenics were investigated in immunohistochemical methods using postmortem brains obtained by forensic autopsy. As monoamines degrade rapidly in the postmortem human brain tissues. we used monoamine-synthesizing enzymes as markers and a dual-labeling method. Human monoamine neuronal systems have not yet been clarified even in normal brains, thus, we investigated it at first in normal controls without detectable neurological or mental diseases, and then compared with the results of schizophrenics. The results in normal controls revealed some morphological characteristics of human monoamine neuronal system, especially in the mesolimbic dopamine system. Many neurons immunoreactive for only tyrosine hydroxylase, the first step dopamine(DA)-synthesizing enzyme, or for only aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase, the second step DA-synthesizing enzyme, were found in the human midbrain, cerebral cortex, hypothalamus, striatum or nucleus accumbens. The distribution of such neurons showed striking species differences Midbrain catecholaminergic or serotonergic neurons showed immunoreactivity for GTP cyclohydrolase "I", the rate-limiting enzyme of tetrahydrobiopterine, a cofactor of tyrosine hydroxylase. Being different from the reports in the rate, DA neurons of the human ventral tegmental area were intensely immunoreactive for serotonin 2A receptor.
Now, the results of schizophrenic brains are under analysis.
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