FIGURE 2. Film Autoradiogram Optical Density Measures (nCi/g) for α4 and δ mRNAs in Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex Area 9 for Comparison Subjects and Subjects With Schizophrenia^a.

^a In panels A and B, open red circles represent subject pairs with the mRNA level for the comparison subject denoted on the x-axis and the mRNA level for the subject with schizophrenia on the y-axis. Closed red circles represent pairs of a comparison subject and a subject with schizoaffective disorder. The closed black squares represent the group mean mRNA levels for comparison subjects and subjects with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder. Lower mRNA levels in subjects with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder are indicated by markers below the diagonal unity line. For the analysis in panel A, F=3.42, df=1, 38, p=0.072; in panel B, F=15.95, df=1, 38, p<0.001. As shown in panel C (open red circles represent comparison subjects, closed blue circles represent subjects with schizophrenia), the mRNA expression levels of δ were negatively correlated with age. The regression line for δ mRNA in subjects with schizophrenia (r=−30, p=0.007) is parallel to and shifted downward from that for comparison subjects (r=−0.48, p<0.001), suggesting that the decreased expression of δ mRNA in schizophrenia is similar in magnitude across adult life.