Comparison of alpha 1-adrenoceptors between rat brain and spleen.

Scatchard analyses of 3H-prazosin binding in rat brain membranes showed biphasic curves, which identified the presence of alpha 1High- and alpha 1Low-affinity sites. The alpha 1High-affinity site was completely inhibited by 0.1 microM phenoxybenzamine. On the other hand, 3H-prazosin binding in rat spleen membranes resulted in linear curves that were identical to the binding curve for the alpha 1High-affinity site in the brain. The displacement potencies of alpha 1-adrenergic antagonists were characterized by 3H-prazosin binding to alpha 1High-affinity sites in the rat spleen and brain and alpha 1Low-affinity sites in the brain in the presence of 0.1 microM of phenoxybenzamine. The affinities of WB-4101, phenoxybenzamine, phentolamine, chlorpromazine, labetalol and nifedipine for brain alpha 1High-affinity sites were significantly higher than those in the spleen. The affinities of most ligands for alpha 1Low-affinity sites were significantly lower than those for both alpha 1High-affinity sites in the brain and spleen, but chlorethylclonidine was significantly selective for alpha 1Low-affinity sites, and bunazosin, dibenamine and 5HT had the same affinities for the alpha 1Low- and both alpha 1High-affinity sites. These results show that two alpha 1-adrenoceptor subtypes, alpha 1High- and alpha 1Low-affinity, are present in the rat brain and that a different alpha 1High-subtype, exists in the rat spleen.

Relationship between alpha-adrenoceptor occupancy and contractile response in rat vas deferens. Experimental and theoretical analysis.

The rat vas deferens has been considered to be the tissue of choice to study alpha-adrenergic drugs. However, some of these agonists have elicited complex responses in this organ. Therefore, detailed characterization of alpha-adrenoceptor-mediated responses of the rat vas deferens was the aim of this work. Experiments were designed to study the contractile response of this tissue to phenylethanolamine (noradrenaline) and to two imidazolines (oxymetazoline and naphazoline). These responses were related to receptor occupancy and to other parameters of drug action, i.e. dissociation constants, relative efficacies, ED50 and maximal responses. A theoretical model was used to check the experimental data. There was a non-linear relationship between response and receptor occupancy with all three agonists. The dissociation constants for noradrenaline, oxymetazoline and naphazoline were 11.06, 0.15 and 0.10 microM, respectively. The rat vas deferens had 75-80% spare receptors for noradrenaline. Oxymetazoline and naphazoline were shown to be partial agonists with low relative efficacies as compared to noradrenaline (0.0063 and 0.0056 respectively). The dose-response curves generated by the model for partial agonists were similar to the curves obtained experimentally in vitro.

Purification of histamine receptor (VI). An improved double labeling method with "double protection".

Studies were done on the specific labeling of the histaminergic H1-receptor of the longitudinal smooth muscle of cat small intestine. A procedure involving 'double protection' combined with the double labeling technique was developed. The first protection was the usual with a protective antihistamine, promethazine, and the second was cross protection of non-specific sites with non-hitaminergic drugs, thioriazine and atropine. Muscle tissue protected with promethazine against non-radioactive dibenamine was treated with 3H-dibenamine in the presence of these second protectors. The second protectors covered non-receptor sites which had been protected from non-radioactive dibenamine with promethazine. The dose-response curves were carefully checked in each experiment to confirm that the second protectors did not interfere with the specific coverage provided by the first protector. Finally 14C-dibenamine was applied to measure non-specific binding after which the labeled muscles were fractionated and the radioactivity was counted. The specificity of labeling achieved in the receptor-rich fraction by this method is discussed.

Purification of histamine receptor. (IV) Specificity of binding of various drugs to the histamine receptor-rich fraction and to solubilized binding sites.

Studies were made on tritiated histamine binding to the receptor-rich membrane fraction and solubilized sites and its displacement by various drugs. H1-Agonists and antagonists displaced histamine most effectively. A H2-agonist and atropine were less effective and propranolol, phentolamine and imidazole acetic acid had little effect. The solubilized binding sites showed the same specificity of binding as the membrane fraction. Membrane fragments had two binding constants, whereas solubilized sites had only one. Solubilized sites bound similar amounts of histamine and dibenamine: the latter was applied to intact tissue under conditions which would presumably cause specific binding to histamine receptors. These binding characteristics show that the method used was adequate for purification of histamine receptors from smooth muscle of cat small intestine.

Molecular biology of synaptic receptors.

A special proteolipid (a hydrophobic protein) has been extracted and purified from nerve-ending membranes and total particulate matter of gray areas of the central nervous system. Such a proteolipid shows a high affinity for binding d-tubocurarine, serotonin, and atropine and has been called receptor proteolipid. The interaction of this proteolipid with atropine sulfate was studied with light scattering and polarization of fluorescence. The changes observed, which follow a cooperative type of curve, were attributed to the aggregation of the proteolipid macromolecules. Such a phenomenon was then observed under the electron microscope. A receptor proteolipid having a high affinity for binding acetylcholine, hexamethonium, and other cholinergic drugs was isolated and purified from electric tissue of fishes and from electroplax membranes. Such a proteolipid was also extracted from membranes from which acetylcholinesterase had been removed, and it was concluded that this enzyme and the receptor proteolipid are two different macromolecules. A high affinity binding site with a dissociation constant of K1 equal to 10(-7) and about ten sites with K2 equal to 10(-5) were recognized in the receptor proteolipid. Under the electron microscope the receptor proteolipid of brain appears as a rod-shaped macromolecule which may assume paracrystalline arrays with 10(-8) molar atropine sulfate. Similarly the receptor proteolipid from electric tissue and from skeletal muscle may form paracrystalline arrays under the action of acetylcholine and hexamethonium. A model of the cholinergic receptor based on the properties of the proteolipid is presented. Preliminary work indicates the possibility of obtaining a biophysical response to acetylcholine when the receptor proteolipid is embedded in artificial bilayered lipid membrance.