Age-related changes in rat brain muscarinic receptors and beta-adrenoreceptors

1. In experiments on 2-, 10- and 22-month old rats, it was found that the Bmax values for muscarinic receptors and beta-adrenoreceptors increased in the cerebral cortex, striatum and hippocampus of 10-month old rats as compared to those in 2-month old rats. 2. The Bmax values for both receptor types significantly decreased in the same brain structures of 22-month old rats as compared to those in 10-month old rats. In the striatum and hippocampus of 22-month old rats the binding capacity decreased as compared also to those in 2-month old rats. 3. In the hypothalamus there was also a tendency towards increasing the binding capacity of 10-month old rats and towards decreasing the binding capacity of 22-month old animals only for muscarinic receptors. The beta max of beta-adrenoreceptors remained unchanged in all age groups studied. 4. The receptor affinity of both receptor types was in most cases unaltered with advancing age. The Kd values were slightly increased only in the striatum and hippocampus of 22-month old rats as compared to 10-month old rats. 5. The role of age for the changes in the activity of brain muscarinic and beta-adrenoreceptor systems is discussed.