Characterization of a [³H]-5-hydroxytryptamine binding site in rabbit brain

Abstract

In the present study non-5-HT₁(A)/non-5-HT₁(C) binding sites in the rabbit caudate nucleus (CN) were examined to determine if they might be identical to the recently discovered 5-HT₁(D) sites in the bovine CN. The characterizations were carried out measuring high-affinity [³H]5-HT binding under conditions where 5-HT₁(A) and 5-HT₁(C) sites were pharmacologically masked in both tissues. Comparison of the pharmacologic profiles of the bovine 5-HT₁(D) and rabbit non-5-HT₁(A)/non-5-HT₁(C) sites revealed similarities, but showed distinct differences. [³H]5-HT binding in the bovine CN was significantly more sensitive to inhibition by GTP than was [³H]5-HT binding in the rabbit CN, and this effect was differentially sensitive to calcium and other divalent cations (i.e., Mg²⁺, Mn²+)⁺in the two tissues. [³H]5-HT binding in the bovine CN was significantly more sensitive to inhibition by NEM than it was in the rabbit CN. Thus, it may be concluded that the non-5-HT₁(A)/non-5-HT₁(C) [³H]5-HT binding sites in rabbit CN are distinct from those in the bovine CN, and we propose that they be tentatively identified as 5-HT₁(R) to distinguish them from the 5-HT₁(D) site.