Adenosine receptors in post-mortem human brain.

1. Adenosine A2-like binding sites were characterized in post-mortem human brain membranes by examining several compounds for their ability to displace [3H]-CGS 21680 (2[p-(2 carboxyethyl)-phenethylamino]-5'-N-ethylcarboxamido adenosine) binding. 2. Two A2-like binding sites were identified in the striatum. 3. The more abundant striatal site was similar to the A2a receptor previously described in rat striatum, both in its pharmacological profile and striatal localization. 4. The less abundant striatal site had a pharmacological profile similar to that of the binding site characterized in the other brain regions examined. This was intermediate in character between A1 and A2 and may represent another adenosine receptor subtype. 5. The co-purification of [3H]-CGS 21680 binding during immunoisolation of human striatal cholinergic membranes was used to assess the possible cholinergic localization of A2-like binding sites in the human striatum. Only the more abundant striatal site co-purified with cholinergic membranes. This suggests that this A2a-like site is present on cholinergic neurones in the human striatum.