Neurotensin in human brain: regional distribution and effects of neurological illness

The regional distribution of neurotensin-like immunoreactivity was investigated in normal human brain and in brains of patients who had died with neurological illness. In Huntington's disease, neurotensin was increased in the pallidum, whilst in Parkinson's disease no significant changes in neurotensin content were observed. Similarly no changes were found in the telencephalic neurotensin content in senile dementia of the Alzheimer type. High levels of neurotensin-like immunoreactivity were detected in lumbar cerebrospinal fluid from patients and the characterization of the immunoreactive material by high-performance liquid chromatography showed it to be indistinguishable from synthetic neurotensin.