Benzodiazepine receptors: autoradiographical and immunocytochemical evidence for their localization in regions of GABAergic synaptic contacts.
The morphological demonstration of BR in GABAergic synapses is a major step forward in the understanding of the mechanism of action of benzodiazepines. It bridges the gap between the electrophysiological evidence stressing the involvement of GABAergic synaptic transmission in the action of benzodiazepines, and the biochemical evidence stressing BR as the site of action for this group of drugs. At present we do not know in which types of synapses those BR are localized which were not associated with GAD positive terminals. At least some of the silver grains may nevertheless be localized in GABAergic terminals, since probably not all GABAergic terminals were stained immunocytochemically. However, it is also possible that some BR are localized in non-GABAergic synaptic contact regions. This possibility would open new concepts for our understanding of the mechanism of action of benzodiazepines and is presently under experimental investigation.
D000345:Affinity Labels; D000818:Animals; D001345:Autoradiography; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000378:metabolism; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D007120:Immunochemistry; D011955:Receptors, Drug / Q000378:metabolism*; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A; D013569:Synapses / Q000378:metabolism*; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000502:physiology*
D000345:Affinity Labels; D011955:Receptors, Drug; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid