Different distributions of opioid receptors in spontaneously hypertensive rats and Wistar-Kyoto rats.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the densities of opioid receptors in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) with those of normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats in central nervous system which are related to the regulation of BP.


METHODS
[3H] Etorphine, a nonspecific opioid ligand, was used to determine the distributions of opioid receptors in 16-wk-old SHR and WKY rats by quantitative autoradiography.


RESULTS
The densities of [3H]etorphine in hippocampus (P < 0.01), periaqueductal gray, nucleus of the solitary tract, and thoracic (T4-6) spinal cord (P < 0.05) of SHR were lower than those of WKY rats. But in basolateral amygdaloid nucleus (P < 0.01), habenular nuclei (P < 0.05), and hypothalamic nuclei including arcuate nucleus (P < 0.01), higher densities of opioid receptors were found in SHR. No difference existed in interpeduncular nuclei between the 2 groups.


CONCLUSIONS
The difference in distributions of opioid receptors is related to the hypertension in SHR.
Yin
X
X
Department of Neurobiology, Shanghai Medical University, China.
Zhu
Y H
YH
Huang
D K
DK
Xu
S F
SF
D000818:Animals; D001345:Autoradiography; D001794:Blood Pressure; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D005048:Etorphine / Q000378:metabolism; D006973:Hypertension / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011918:Rats, Inbred SHR; D011921:Rats, Inbred WKY; D011957:Receptors, Opioid / Q000378:metabolism*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000378:metabolism*
D011957:Receptors, Opioid; D005048:Etorphine