Pineal and cortical melatonin receptors MT1 and MT2 are decreased in Alzheimer's disease.

Jan 11, 2007European journal of histochemistry : EJH

Melatonin receptors in the pineal gland and thinking areas are reduced in Alzheimer's disease

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Abstract

Immunohistochemical analysis shows an overall decrease in melatonin receptor intensity in the brain regions of Alzheimer's disease patients compared to elderly controls.

Melatonin receptors MT1 and MT2 are localized in the pineal gland and occipital cortex of the brain.
In the pineal gland, both receptors are found in pinealocytes, while in the cortex, they are present in some pyramidal and non-pyramidal cells.
Alzheimer's disease is associated with a decrease in melatonin receptor intensity in both the pineal gland and occipital cortex.
These alterations in melatonin receptors may contribute to the pathology of Alzheimer's disease.

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The pineal hormone melatonin is involved in physiological transduction of temporal information from the light dark cycle to circadian and seasonal behavioural rhythms, as well as possessing neuroprotective properties. Melatonin and its receptors MT1 and MT2, which belong to the family of G protein-coupled receptors, are impaired in Alzheimer's disease (AD) with severe consequences to neuropathology and clinical symptoms. The present data provides the first immunohistochemical evidence for the cellular localization of the both melatonin receptors in the human pineal gland and occipital cortex, and demonstrates their alterations in AD. We localized MT1 and MT2 in the pineal gland and occipital cortex of 7 elderly controls and 11 AD patients using immunohistochemistry with peroxidase-staining. In the pineal gland both MT1 and MT2 were localized to pinealocytes, whereas in the cortex both receptors were expressed in some pyramidal and non-pyramidal cells. In patients with AD, parallel to degenerative tissue changes, there was an overall decrease in the intensity of receptors in both brain regions. In line with our previous findings, melatonin receptor expression in AD is impaired in two additional brain areas, and may contribute to disease pathology.

Pineal and cortical melatonin receptors MT1 and MT2 are decreased in Alzheimer's disease.

Abstract

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