title: Opiate receptors in rat pituitary are confined to the neural lobe and are exclusively kappa.
abstract: The distribution and density of opiate receptor subtypes in rat pituitary were examined by quantitative autoradiography of tritiated ligand-binding to slide-mounted sections under conditions optimized to label mu, delta, or kappa opiate receptors. Mu and delta receptor-binding was virtually undetectable in the pituitary. Kappa receptor-binding was confined to the neural lobe where it was densest in the external rim. Autoradiographic silver grains in emulsion-coated, Nissl-stained sections were preferentially located between cells, suggesting kappa receptor localization on nerve terminals and/or processes of pituicytes.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001345:Autoradiography; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D007700:Kinetics; D008297:Male; D009928:Organ Specificity; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D010904:Pituitary Gland, Posterior / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D011957:Receptors, Opioid / Q000378:metabolism*; D017473:Receptors, Opioid, kappa; D014316:Tritium
chemical_list: D011957:Receptors, Opioid; D017473:Receptors, Opioid, kappa; D014316:Tritium