Distribution of CCK binding sites in the human hippocampal formation and their alteration in schizophrenia: a post-mortem autoradiographic study.

The distribution of cholecystokinin binding sites has been visualized and quantified by quantitative autoradiography in the human hippocampus from post-mortem brains of 11 controls and 11 schizophrenics. CCK receptors were localized to subiculum and parahippocampal gyrus. In the cortical areas there was a particularly dense lamination of receptors. In the schizophrenic material a similar overall pattern was seen, but there were significant losses of receptors in CA1 subiculum and cortex. These findings confirm the distribution of CCK receptors in the retrohippocampal areas in man and also provide further support for earlier homogenate studies which have also shown a loss of CCK binding sites in schizophrenia. This effect was localized primarily to parahippocampal gyrus suggesting that CCK plays some role in the genesis of developmental abnormalities in this region.