title: Binding of serotonergic ligands to brain membranes of alcohol-preferring AA and alcohol-avoiding ANA rats.
abstract: The alcohol-preferring AA rats have higher concentration of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) in the brain than the alcohol-avoiding ANA rats. In the present study, the 5-HT1, 5-HT2, and 5-HT3 receptors were studied with [3H]5-HT, [3H]ketanserin, and [3H]LY278584, respectively, in membrane homogenates from different brain regions of both rat lines using in vitro binding assays. No differences in the 5-HT1 and 5-HT2 receptor binding in the brainstem, hippocampus, frontal cortex, and hypothalamus or in the 5-HT3 receptor binding in the nucleus accumbens, amygdala, hippocampus, and frontal cortex were observed between the ethanol-naive animals of the rat lines. In rats given the opportunity to voluntarily consume alcohol, there was a tendency to increase 5-HT1 binding in the ANA rats, which tendency was, however, also found in their ethanol-naive controls subjected to the same handling and behavioral tests as the ethanol-experienced animals. The results do not, however, indicate that any genetic modifications of the 5-HT receptor-binding sites have occurred in the process of the selective breeding of AA and ANA rats for alcohol preference and avoidance, respectively.
authors.affiliation: Research Laboratories, Alko Ltd., Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: E R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Korpi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Päivärinta
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Abi-Dargham
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Honkanen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Laruelle
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tuominen
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Hilakivi
mesh_terms: D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D007191:Indazoles / Q000378:metabolism; D007650:Ketanserin / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011985:Receptors, Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism*; D012701:Serotonin / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D014326:Tropanes / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D007191:Indazoles; D011985:Receptors, Serotonin; D014326:Tropanes; C061531:LY 278584; D012701:Serotonin; D007650:Ketanserin