A comparative autoradiographic study of the density of [ 3H]SR95531, [3H]MK-801 and [3H]cGMP binding in the locus coeruleus and central pontine grey of spontaneously hypertensive and Wistar-Kyoto rats

Abstract

The Spontaneously Hypertensive rat (SHR) has been previously shown to have a host of neurochemical differences compared with their normotensive counterpart, the Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rat. Using quantitative receptor autoradiography, the density of GABAA and NMDA receptors and [ 3H]cGMP binding within the locus coeruleus (LC) and central pontine grey (CGPn) were compared in the SHR and WKY rat using the radioligands [ 3H]SR95531, [3H]MK-801 and [3H]cGMP respectively. It was found that [3H]SR95531 binding was significantly greater in both the LC and CGPn of the SHR compared with the WKY rat (unpaired t test; P<0.05). Greater binding densities of [3H]MK-801 and [3H]cGMP were also observed in the L..