Autoradiographic visualisation of axonal transport of adenosine A1 receptors along the rat vagus nerve and characterisation of adenosine A1 receptor binding in the dorsal vagal complex of hypertensive and normotensive rats

Abstract

The present study has employed in vitro receptor autoradiography with [3H]DPCPX to visualise the presence of adenosine A1 receptors on the rat nodose ganglion, which contains the perikarya of vagal afferent neurons projecting to the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS). In addition, unilateral vagal ligation resulted in an accumulation of [3H]DPCPX binding adjacent to the ligatures, indicating that adenosine A1 receptors are subject to axoplasmic flow along the rat vagus nerve. Radioligand binding assays were utilised to characterise the properties of adenosine A1 receptors in the dorsal vagal complex (NTS, area postrema and dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus) of pup and adult normotensive (Wista..