Decreased levels of muscarinic receptors in bladders from the alcohol preferring rat line.

The Bmax for 3H]QNB binding in the bladders of alcohol preferring (AA) rats was only approximately 60% of that in the alcohol non-preferring (ANA) rats. No significant change in Bmax for 3H]QNB binding in bladder was observed between alcohol insensitive (AT) and alcohol sensitive (ANT) rats. No significant change in Kd for 3H]QNB binding in bladder was observed between the four different rat lines studied. Therefore, alcohol preference but not sensitivity is associated with a decrease in muscarinic receptor density in the rat bladder. Because all of the rats used in this study were ethanol-naive, the decrease in muscarinic receptor density in the bladders of alcohol preferring rats is associated with genetic factors inherent to this rat line. Further studies are needed to determine if these observations are tissue specific or specific to the m2 subtype, which predominates in the rat bladder.