Autoradiographic localization of beta-adrenergic receptors in the rabbit pituitary.
The localization and characterization of beta-adrenergic receptors in the rabbit pituitary have been studied using [125I]cyanopindolol as a specific ligand. Slide-mounted frozen sections were used for the autoradiographic localization and characterization of beta-adrenergic receptors. The displacement curves obtained from optical density of radioautograms or counting of scraped off sections demonstrated that beta-adrenergic receptors were mostly of the beta 2-subtype and highly concentrated in the intermediate lobe. Low concentrations of beta 2-adrenergic receptors were also found to be uniformly distributed in the anterior and posterior lobes. These results suggest that epinephrine and/or norepinephrine might play a physiological role in the regulation of the secretion of not only the intermediate lobe but also the anterior and posterior lobes of the rabbit pituitary.
D000818:Animals; D001345:Autoradiography; D005260:Female; D020120:Iodocyanopindolol; D008297:Male; D010869:Pindolol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism; D010903:Pituitary Gland, Anterior / Q000378:metabolism*; D011817:Rabbits; D011869:Radioligand Assay; D011943:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*
D011943:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta; D020120:Iodocyanopindolol; D010869:Pindolol