Striatal adenylate cyclase-inhibiting dopamine D2 receptors are not affected by the aging process

Radioreceptor binding studies with various labelled ligands and positron emission tomography have revealed a decline in D2 receptor concentration with age in both animal and human caudate nucleus. In this study we found that during senescence the functional characteristics of D2 receptors that inhibit adenylate cyclase (AC) are unchanged, by measuring the extent of inhibition of AC activity by dopamine mimetic drugs as a direct indicator of D2 receptor function.