Are striatal dopamine D4 receptors increased in schizophrenia?

The density of dopamine D2-like receptors was determined using [3H]emonapride binding in putamen tissue taken postmortem from schizophrenic subjects and matched controls. A 72% increase in number of these receptors was identified in the schizophrenics, although three patients not receiving antipsychotic drug treatment before death exhibited receptor densities in the control range. Displacement of 1 nM [3H]emonapride binding by raclopride was used to define the contribution of the D4 subtype of dopamine receptors to total [3H]emonapride binding. No evidence was obtained for the presence of D4 receptors in putamen tissue from either control or schizophrenic subjects, indicating that the increase in D2-like receptor density in schizophrenia is due not to an increase in number of D4 sites in the disease, but to an up-regulation of D2 or D3 receptors probably induced by chronic treatment with antipsychotic drugs.