Distribution of kappa opioid receptors in the brain of young and old male rats

Journal Article · Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1989 · Life Sciences; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0024-3205(89)90073-8· OSTI ID:6994822

Maggi, R; Limonta, P; Dondi, D; Martini, L; Piva, F ^[1]

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1. Univ. of Milano (Italy)

The experiments to be described have been designed in order to: (a) provide new information on the concentrations of opioid kappa receptors in different regions of the brain of the male rats; and (b) to analyze whether the density of brain kappa receptors might be modified by the process of aging. The concentration of kappa receptors was investigated in the hypothalamus, amygdala, mesencephalon, corpus striatum, hippocampus, thalamus, frontal poles, anterior and posterior cortex collected from male rats of 2 and 19 months of age. {sup 3}H-bremazocine (BRZ) was used as the ligand of kappa receptors, after protection of mu and delta receptors respectively with dihydromorphine and d-ala-d-leu-enkephalin. The results obtained show that: (1) in young male rats, the number of kappa opioid receptors is different in the various brain areas examined. (2) Aging exerts little influence on the number of kappa receptors in the majority of the brain structures considered. However in the amygdala and in the thalamus the number of kappa receptors was increased in old animals.

• OSTI ID: 6994822
• Journal Information: Life Sciences; (USA), Vol. 45:22; ISSN 0024-3205
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
ENDORPHINS
RECEPTORS
TISSUE DISTRIBUTION
AGE DEPENDENCE
BRAIN
LIGANDS
RATS
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TRITIUM COMPOUNDS
ANIMALS
AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM AGENTS
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CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
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MAMMALS
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550201* - Biochemistry- Tracer Techniques