Regional Distribution of High-Affinity γ-[3H] Hydroxybutyrate Binding Sites as Determined by Quantitative Autoradiography |
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Authors: | Viviane Hechler,Dinah Weissmann,Evelyne March,Jean-Franç ois Pujol,Michel Maitre |
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Affiliation: | Centre de Neurochimie du CNRS and INSERM U44, Strasbourg; DCpartement de Pharmacologie, Roussel- Uclaf: Romainville, France |
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Abstract: | The distribution of high-affinity binding sites for gamma-[3H]hydroxybutyrate in coronal sections of rat brain was studied by quantitative autoradiographic techniques. Binding sites for this naturally occurring substance, which may possibly have a neurotransmitter role, are concentrated in some restricted areas of the brain, particularly in the limbic system. The hippocampus (especially field CA1 of Ammon's horn, at 292 fmol/mg of tissue), septum (72 fmol/mg of tissue), and cortex (frontal, 113 fmol/mg of tissue; parietal, 103 fmol/mg of tissue; cingulate, 114 fmol/mg of tissue; and entorhinal, 134 fmol/mg of tissue) show pronounced labeling with gamma-[3H]hydroxybutyrate. Binding is much lower in caudatus-putamen (50 fmol/mg of tissue), thalamus, and hypothalamus. Caudal parts of the brain (cerebellum, pons, and medulla) are practically devoid of binding sites. These results strongly support a functional role of endogenous gamma-hydroxybutyrate in particularly restricted areas of the rat brain. |
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Keywords: | Hydroxybutyrate binding Autoradiographic studies |
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