Radioligand binding and autoradiographic visualization of adenosine transport sites in human inferior vagal ganglia and their axonal transport along rat vagal afferent neurons

Abstract

The present study has employed membrane-binding studies and in vitro autoradiography to demonstrate the presence of adenosine transport sites in human inferior vagal ganglia using [3H]nitrobenzylthioinosine ([3H]NBMPR), a potent inhibitor of adenosine transport. In addition, [3H]NBMPR was used to determine whether adenosine transport sites are subject to axonal transport along the rat vagus nerve. Binding of [3H]NBMPR to human inferior vagal ganglia membranes was saturable and reversible. Saturation experiments revealed a single class of high affinity-binding sites with a K(d) of 93.73 ± 23.13 pM and B(max) of 413.50 ± 50.40 fmol/mg protein. In displacement experiments, the adenosine transpo..