HIGH-AFFINITY AND LOW-AFFINITY STATES OF DOPAMINE D(1) RECEPTORS IN SCHIZOPHRENIA

Using SKF-38393/[H-3]SCH-23390 dopamine D1 receptor agonist/antagonist competition binding technique, we showed that schizophrenics distinguished from the neuro-psychiatric and normal controls by exhibiting a significant increase in the density of the low-affinity state, and a concomitant enhancement in the binding affinity of the high-affinity state of D1 dopamine receptors in caudate nucleus. The results suggest that perturbation in dynamic equilibrium of high- and low-affinity states of D1 receptors underlies the pathogenesis of schizophrenia.