Chronic administration of lisuride hydrogen maleate increases muscarinic acetylcholine receptor binding in aged rat brain

Changes in the distribution and densities of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mACh-R) in young adult and aged rat brain, and the effects of chronic administration of lisuride hydrogen maleate (lisuride) on these changes were studied by in vitro quantitative autoradiography of [³H] quinuclidinyl benzilate binding. mACh-R was relatively higher in the striatum, hippocampus and cerebral cortex in the young adult rats. In contrast, mACh-R binding was markedly reduced in the striatum, accumbens nucleus, amygdaloid nucleus and frontal cerebral cortex of aged rats compared to young adult rats. However, chronic administration of lisuride significantly increased mACh-R binding in the parietal cerebral cortex of aged rats compared to young adult rats. However, chronic administration of lisuride significantly increased mACh-R binding in the parietal cerebral cortex as well as in the above-mentioned regions in aged rats. This lisuride-induced increase in mACh-R of aged rat brain is considered to have important implications concerning the mechanism of therapeutic efficacy of lisuride.