title: An investigation of binding sites for paracetamol in the mouse brain and spinal cord.
abstract: Quantitative autoradiography has been used to assess whether [3H]paracetamol (3 microM) binds specifically to any area of the murine brain and spinal cord and to investigate whether paracetamol (1-100 microM) competes for binding to the nociceptin opioid peptide (NOP) receptor or to the nitrobenzylthioinosine (NBTI)-sensitive adenosine transporter in the brains of mice. [3H]paracetamol binding was homogenous and, although there was some indication of specific binding overall, this binding in most individual regions failed to reach statistical significance. However, thoracic segments of the spinal cord were found to have significantly higher specific binding than cervical and lumbar regions. Paracetamol did not significantly compete for binding to the NOP receptor or to the NBTI-sensitive adenosine transporter, showing that it does not mediate its effect via these sites. Although paracetamol did bind specifically to the murine brain and spinal cord, the binding was not region-specific, suggesting binding is not related to any particular neurotransmitter system.
authors.affiliation: Pharmacology Group, School of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey GU2 7XH, UK.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Godfrey
authors.forename: Amanda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Morselli
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bennion
authors.forename: Geoffrey D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Clarke
authors.forename: Susanna M O
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Hourani
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kitchen
mesh_terms: D000082:Acetaminophen / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001345:Autoradiography / Q000379:methods; D001665:Binding Sites; D001667:Binding, Competitive / Q000187:drug effects; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D033703:Nucleoside Transport Proteins; D018847:Opioid Peptides / Q000378:metabolism; D011957:Receptors, Opioid / Q000378:metabolism; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000378:metabolism*; D013868:Thioinosine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D014316:Tritium; D000094942:Nociceptin Receptor; D000097629:Nociceptin
chemical_list: D000082:Acetaminophen; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D033703:Nucleoside Transport Proteins; D018847:Opioid Peptides; D011957:Receptors, Opioid; D013868:Thioinosine; D014316:Tritium; D000094942:Nociceptin Receptor; D000097629:Nociceptin; C444719:adenosine transporter; C001789:4-nitrobenzylthioinosine; C000722287:Oprl1 protein, mouse