title: Binding of (+/-)-3H-lofexidine to alpha-adrenoceptors in membranes from rat brain.
abstract: The binding of (+/-)-3H-lofexidine (spec. act. 26.8 Ci/mmol) to rat brain membranes was studied. The specific binding of (+/-)-3H-lofexidine, defined as the excess over blanks containing excess (-)-noradrenaline was a saturable process. Scatchard analysis indicated a single class of binding sites (KD = 5.5 nM). The maximal number of binding sites amounted to 280 fmol/mg protein, comparable to the number occupied by 3H-clonidine and 3H-guanfacine. Specific binding reached equilibrium by about 5 min and dissociated in a biphasic manner. A rapid and a slow component of dissociation was found. The specific binding sites identified by (+/-)-3H-lofexidine in rat brain tissue are to be classified as alpha 2-adrenoceptors. Selective agonists as well as antagonists of alpha 1-adrenoceptors were weak displacers of the binding, whereas preferential stimulants as well as blocking drugs of alpha 2-adrenoceptors displayed high affinity for the (+/-)-3H-lofexidine sites. The relative affinity of various drugs for the sites labeled by (+/-)-3H-lofexidine perfectly corresponded with that for the specific binding sites identified by 3H-clonidine and 3H-guanfacine. This study shows the usefulness of (+/-)-3H-lofexidine as an additional radioligand for a direct characterization of alpha 2-adrenoceptors in brain tissue. It is concluded that (+/-)-3H-lofexidine labels the same population of alpha 2-adrenoceptors in rat brain as accessible to 3H-clonidine and 3H-guanfacine.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001667:Binding, Competitive; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D003000:Clonidine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000378:metabolism; D007700:Kinetics; D008297:Male; D008566:Membranes / Q000378:metabolism; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D011941:Receptors, Adrenergic / Q000378:metabolism*; D011942:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D011941:Receptors, Adrenergic; D011942:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha; D003000:Clonidine; C025655:lofexidine; D009638:Norepinephrine