Nicholas G. Bacopoulos

Dopamine receptors in rat brain regions. Optimal conditions for 3H-agonist binding, pH dependency and lack of inhibition by ascorbic acid.

The binding of dopaminergic agonist and antagonist radioligands was investigated in rat brain regions. A 30-min preincubation of homogenates of caudate nucleus or mesolimbic brain regions at 37 degrees induced a several-fold increase in the stereospecific binding of [3H]-dopamine or [3H]apomorphine to the subsequently washed particulate fraction, whereas it induced a slight decrease in [3H]spiroperidol binding. Stereospecific 3H-agonist binding was not observed in brain regions devoid of dopaminergic innervation. Guanosyl nucleotides, EDTA or ethyleneglycol-bis-(beta-amino-ethyl ether) N,N-tetraacetate (EGTA), included in the preincubation buffer, antagonized the stimulation of 3H-agonist binding. The stereospecific binding sites of 3H-agonists were saturable with equilibrium dissociation constants (Kd) of 1-2 nM. High-affinity binding was pH dependent, with different pH optima for each radioligand. Several dopamine receptor agonists and antagonists were potent inhibitors of stereospecific [3H]dopamine binding, whereas l-ascorbic acid was inactive at concentrations as high as 1.0 mM. The stereospecific binding of [3H]apomorphine or [3H]spiroperidol was also unaffected by ascorbic acid. The nonspecific (d-butaclamol-insensitive) portion of 3H-agonist binding was weakly inhibited by concentrations of ascorbic acid higher than 0.01 mM. This effect was also observed in the cerebellum and spinal cord, where none of the 3H-agonist binding was stereospecific. It is concluded that the portion of 3H-agonist or 3H-antagonist radioligand binding which is related to dopamine receptors is unaffected by ascorbic acid.

Acute changes in the state of dopamine receptors; in vitro monitoring with 3H-dopamine

Abstract Preincubation of homogenates of rat caudate nucleus at 37 degrees C induced a 3-fold increase in the saturable and stereospecific binding of 3H-dopamine in washed suspensions of the 20,000 × g pellet. EGTA prevented and CaCl2 or MgCl2 reinstated the increase in 3H-dopamine binding. Stereospecific binding was reduced by 53% in the caudate nuclei of animals given a single dose of reserpine which depleted brain dopamine. The addition of dopamine to depleted homogenates restored the effect of preincubation on 3H-dopamine binding. The binding of 3H-spiroperidol was unaffected by preincubation or by reserpine pretreatment. These results suggest that dopamine regulates the 3H-dopamine, but not the 3H-spiroperidol binding site in rat brain.

Differential effects of the enantiomers of 3-(3-hydroxyphenyl)-N-n-propylpiperidine (3-PPP) at dopamine receptors sites

The agonist actions of 3-PPP at central dopamine (DA) autoreceptors were found to reside mostly in its (+) enantiomer, (+)-3-PPP also reduced striatal content of DOPAC and HVA, whereas (-)-3-PPP elevated HVA levels. Only (-)-3-PPP antagonized DA stimulation of DA-receptor linked adenylate cyclase. It was more effective than (+)-3-PPP at inhibiting [3H]DA binding to striatal membranes. The results suggest that (+)-3-PPP may act predominantly at DA autoreceptors, while (-)-3-PPP exhibits weak affinity for presynaptic and postsynaptic DA receptors.

Dopaminergic 3H-agonist receptors in rat brain: new evidence on localization and pharmacology

Recent methodological advances have allowed the reliable assay of specific dopaminergic 3H-agonist binding sites in rat striatum. Successful assay depends on preincubation of tissue homogenates at 37 degrees C; this results in a guanyl nucleotide-sensitive and dopamine (DA)-dependent increase in the density (Bmax) of 3H-agonist binding. Lesions of DA terminals or drugs which deplete DA levels prevent the preincubation-induced increase in binding, and this effect is completely reversible by preincubation with added DA. In contrast, kainic acid lesions irreversibly reduce 3H-agonist binding. It is concluded that the evidence supporting the existence of presynaptic D-3 sites is artefactual and that 3H-DA binding sites are more likely related to post-synaptic receptors. 3H-DA binding involves two sites, one of which has pharmacologic properties similar to D-1 receptors, whereas the other resembles D-2 receptors. The affinity of 15 antipsychotic drugs for 3H-haloperidol binding sites was highly correlated (R = 0.94) with their inhibitory potency at a subset of 3H-DA binding sites. However, the inhibition of 3H-DA binding by antipsychotic drugs was noncompetitive. These findings can be explained by an allosteric model, whereby antagonists bind to a site different from but allosterically linked to a high-affinity 3H-DA binding site.

Reversible decrease in dopaminergic 3H-agonist binding after 6-hydroxydopamine and irreversible decrease after kainic acid

Six days after the unilateral intrastriatal injection of 30 ug 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) the number of stereospecific 3H-dopamine and 3H-apomorphine binding sites (Bmax) was reduced by 50-60% in the caudate nucleus ipsilateral to the lesion. The dopamine content of the lesioned caudate nucleus was also reduced to 2% of the contralateral side or of sham-operated controls. The preincubation of depleted homogenates with added dopamine reversed the effects of 6-OHDA on the Bmax of 3H-agonists. A similar pattern of depletion, decrease in binding and in vitro reversal by dopamine was observed after a single injection of reserpine (4.0 mg/kg, im.). The intrastriatal injection of kainic acid also lowered the Bmax of 3H-agonists by 65% without altering dopamine content. Preincubation of homogenates of kainic acid-lesioned caudate nuclei with 355 nM (endogenous) dopamine did not reverse the decrease in binding. We conclude that treatments which deplete endogenous dopamine, including the lesion of nigrostriatal terminals, induce a reversible change in the parameters of 3H-agonist binding whereas the destruction of intrinsic caudate neurons with kainic acid results in an irreversible loss of receptors.

[3H]dopamine binds to D-1 and D-2 receptors in rat striatum

Although saturation studies suggest that [3H]dopamine binds to a homogeneous class of stereospecific sites in rat striatal membranes, pharmacologic analysis reveals two distinct sites, one with high and another with low antagonist affinities. The affinity of antagonists for the first site is correlated with their affinity for [3H]butyrophenone binding sites; affinity for the second site is correlated with inhibitory potency against the dopamine-stimulated adenylate cyclase. These results suggest that [3H]dopamine binds to D-1 and D-2 receptors.

Biogenic amine metabolites in human lung tumor cells: Histochemical and mass-spectrographic demonstration

Three continuous cell lines isolated from small cell carcinoma of the lung (SCCL) have been examined for their ability to take up and metabolize the biogenic amine precursors, L-DOPA and 5-hydroxytryptophane (5-HTP). In two of the three lines formaldehyde-induced fluorescence (FIF) and mass-spectrographic analysis indicated specific uptake and metabolism of L-DOPA and 5-HTP.

Dopamine receptors in rat frontal cortex: pharmacological properties in vivo and in vitro.

Abstract The acute in vivo administration of several neuroleptic drugs drastically increased the content of dopamine metabolites in the caudate nucleus and frontal cortex of rats. In homogenates of the above brain regions, the same neuroleptics were potent antagonists of stereospecific 3H-spiroperidol binding, with minor differences in regional potency. Apomorphine was a significantly more potent inhibitor of 3H-spiroperidol binding in the caudate nucleus. Serotonin was more potent than dopamine in the frontal cortex and the reverse was true in the caudate nucleus. In both regions dopamine was 200–300 times more potent in displacing 3H-apomorphine binding than was serotonin.