title: Multiple opiate receptor in human brain: an autoradiographic investigation.
abstract: The pharmacologically defined kappa agonist 3H-(-)-bremazocine and the mu-agonists 3H-dihydromorphine and 3H-D-Ala2,MePhe4, Gly-ol5-enkephalin bind to unique sites in microtome sections of human brain tissue. Kappa binding sites were visualized by autoradiography under conditions where mu- and delta-sites were blocked by D-Ala2,MePhe4,Gly-ol5 and D-Ala2,D-Leu5-enkephalin. A heterogenous distribution of opiate binding sites was found with the neocortical and cerebellar cortices being very rich, brainstem generally poor and white matter very poor in opiate receptor sites. A clear difference in anatomical distribution of opiate binding types was observed. In the midbrain the ventral tegmental area was enriched in mu- and the substantia nigra in kappa-sites. The deep laminae of the neocortex were enriched in kappa-, whereas the molecular layer of the cerebellum contained predominantly mu-sites. Within the hippocampal formation the stratum lacunosum moleculare was enriched in kappa- and the dentate gyrus in delta-sites.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001345:Autoradiography; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011957:Receptors, Opioid / Q000378:metabolism*; D017465:Receptors, Opioid, delta; D017473:Receptors, Opioid, kappa; D017450:Receptors, Opioid, mu; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014316:Tritium
chemical_list: D011957:Receptors, Opioid; D017465:Receptors, Opioid, delta; D017473:Receptors, Opioid, kappa; D017450:Receptors, Opioid, mu; D014316:Tritium