Cholinergic muscarinic binding by human lymphocytes: Changes with aging, antagonist treatment, and senile dementia of the Alzheimer type

Abstract

In peripheral blood lymphocytes (mixed lymphocytes isolated on a Ficoll-Hypaque density gradient) derived from normal human subjects, cholinergic muscarinic binding capacity was found to increase with age. In contrast, lymphocytes derived from patients with "probable" senile dementia of the Alzheimer type (SDAT) exhibited a marked reduction in binding capacity. Treatment of these patients with antimuscarinic drugs was associated with increased muscarinic binding by lymphocytes. These results indicate that cholinergic muscarinic binding by peripheral blood lymphocytes may be useful in the study of alterations associated with aging and SDAT, as well as in evaluating changes induced by certain cholinergic drug treatments.

Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha, Interleukin 1 and Related Cytokines in Brain Development: Normal and Pathological

“…It remains to be determined what the exact mechanism of this is. While peripheral immune dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease (AD) indicates de creased ILl production and a decreased capacity for cholinergic muscarinic binding by lymphocytes [134,135], ILl is greatly elevated in the CNS of these patients [136]. Up to a 30-fold increase in ILl immunoreactive glial cells, microglia and astrocytes, were seen in tissue sections of AD brains compared to controls [136].…”

Expression and Transcriptional Regulation of the Human α3 Neuronal Nicotinic Receptor Subunit in T Lymphocyte Cell Lines

“…The widely documented expression of neurotransmitter receptors on the surface of immunocompetent cells is thought to subserve a neurochemical link between the nervous and immune systems: The nervous system can modulate immunologic responses by means of the peptides released during neuroendocrine activity, but closer neural-immune interactions can take place within the primary and secondary lymphoid organs that are innervated by the autonomic nervous system (Felten and Felten, 1991). Acetylcholine, the clas-sical neurotransmitter of the parasympathetic system, is a likely neuroimmune modulator (Rinner and Schauenstein, 1991), because both muscarinic and nicotinic receptors have been identified on the surface of immunocompetent cells (Richman and Arnason, 1979;Rabey et al, 1986). Furthermore, it has also been shown that T lymphocytes are capable of synthesizing acetyicholine and releasing it on phytohemagglutinin stimulation (Fujii et al, 1996), thus raising the possibility that activated T cells may use this neurotransmitter in self-modulating autocrine or paracrine loops.…”

Decreased density of benzodiazepine receptors in lymphocytes of anxious patients: reversal after chronic diazepam treatment

“…The central nervous system (CNS) may affect immune function not only via the hypothalamicpituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis but also via peripheral innervation of lymphopoietic organs and by the release of neurotransmitters into the blood. In fact substance P, vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and opioid peptides may affect lymphocyte functions Receptors for several neurotransmitters have recently been demonstrated in human circulating lymphocytes (8)(9)(10); in particular, receptors for benzodiazepines (BDZ) have been reported (1 1, 12).…”