Abstract
The present experiments were performed to study the binding characteristics of delta opioid receptors in membrane preparations obtained from the brain of adult male rats, and to analyze whether aging modifies these binding parameters.
The binding characteristics of delta opioid receptors were evaluated on membrane preparations derived from dissected brain regions (hypothalamus, amygdala, mesencephalon, corpus striatum, hippocampus, thalamus, frontal poles, anterior and posterior cortex) collected from male rats of 3 and 24 months of age; the highly selective ligand 3H-[D-Pen2-D-Pen5] enkephalin (3H-DPDPE) was used.
The results obtained in young rats show that the distribution of delta opioid receptors is different in the various brain areas examined; these receptors appear to be maximally concentrated in the frontal poles, anterior and posterior cortex; lower concentrations were found in the other structures considered. Kd (dissociation constant) for the delta sites was found very similar in all areas. The distribution of delta opioid receptors in the brain of 24-month-old rats was similar to that observed in young animals; this result was surprising in view of the fact that aging modifies the number of other types of brain opioid receptors (mu and kappa). (Aging Clin. Exp. Res. 4: 69–75,1992)
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Paterson S.J., Robertson L.E., Kosterlitz H.V.: Classification of opioid receptors. Br. Med. Bull. 39: 31–36, 1983.
Quirion R., Zaiac J.M., Morgat J.L., Roques B.P.: Autoradiographic distribution of mu and delta receptors in rat brain using highly selective ligands. Life Sci. 33: 227–230, 1983.
Gulya K., Gehlert D.R., Wamsley J.K., Mosberg H., Hruby V.J., Yamamura H.I.: Light microscopic autoradiographic localization of delta opioid receptors in the rat brain using a highly selective Bis-Penicillamine cyclic enkephalin analog. J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther. 238: 720–726, 1986.
Mansour A., Lewis M.E., Khachaturian H., Akil H., Watson S.J.: Pharmacological and anatomical evidence of selective μ, δ, and k opioid receptor binding in rat brain. Brain Res. 399: 69–79, 1986.
McLean S., Rothman R.B., Herkenham M.: Autoradiographic localization of μ- and δ-opiate receptors in the forebrain of the rat. Brain Res. 378: 49–60, 1986.
Mansour A., Khachaturian H., Lewis M.E., Akil H., Watson S.J.: Autoradiographic differentiation of mu, delta, and kappa opioid receptors in the rat forebrain and midbrain. J. Neurosci. 7: 2445–2464, 1987.
Tempel A., Zukin R.S.: Neuroanatomical patterns of the μ, δ and k opioid receptors of rat brain as determined by quantitative in vitro autoradiography. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 84: 4308–4312, 1987.
Mansour A., Khachaturian H., Lewis M.E., Akil H., Watson S.J.: Anatomy of CNS opioid receptors. Trends in Neurosci. 11: 308–314,1988.
Sharif N.A., Hughes J.: Discrete mapping of brain mu and delta opioid receptors using selective peptides: quantitative autoradiography, species differences and comparison with kappa receptors. Peptides 10: 499- 522, 1989.
Akiyama K., Gee K.W., Mosberg H.I., Hruby V.J., Yamamura H.I.: Characterization of [3H][2-D-penicillamine, 5-D-penicillamine]-enkephalin binding to δ opiate receptors in the rat brain and neuroblastomaglioma hybrid cell line (NG 108-15). Proc. Natl. Acad. Set. USA 82: 2543–2547, 1985.
Castanas E., Blanc D., Bourhim N., Cupo A., Cantau P., Giraud P.: Reassessment of opioid binding sites in the rat brain. Neuropeptides 7: 369–380, 1986.
Chang K.J., Cooper B.R., Hazum E., Cuatrecasas P.: Multiple opiate receptors: different regional distribution in the brain and differential binding of opiates and opioid peptides. Mol. Pharmacol. 16: 91–104, 1979.
Robson L.E.,Gillan M.G.C., Kosterlitz H.W.: Species differences in the concentrations and distributions of opioid binding sites. Eur. J. Pharmacol. 112: 65–71, 1985.
Corbett A.D:, Gillan M.G.C., Kosterlitz H.W., McKnight A.T., Paterson S.J., Robson L.E.: Selectivities of opioid peptide analogues as agonists and antagonists at the δ-receptor. Br. J. Pharmacol. 83: 271–279, 1984.
Cotton R., Kosterlitz H.W., Paterson S.J., Ranee M.J., Traynor J.R.: The use of 3[H]-[D-Pen2,D- Pen5]enkephalin as a highly selective ligand for the δ- binding site. Br. J. Pharmacol. 84: 927–932, 1985.
Mosberg H.I., Hurst R., Hruby V.J., Gee K., Yamamura H.I., Galligan J.J., Burks T.F.: Bis-penicillamine enkephalins possess highly improved specificity toward δ opioid receptors. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 80: 5871–5874, 1983.
Barden N., Dupont A., Labrie F., Merand Y., Roleau D., Vaudry H., Boissier J.R.: Age-dependent changes in the β-endorphin content of discrete rat brain nuclei. Brain Res. 208: 209–212, 1981.
Dupont A., Savard P., Merand Y., Labrie F., Boissier J.R.: Age-related changes in central nervous system enkephalins and substance P. Life Sci. 29: 2317–2322, 1981.
Forman L.J., Sonntag W.E., Van Vugt D.A., Meites J.: Immunoreactive β-endorphin in the plasma, pituitary and hypothalamus of young and old male rats. Neurobiol. Aging 2: 281–284, 1981.
Gambert S.R.: Interaction of age and thyroid hormone status on beta-endorphin content in rat corpus striatum and hypothalamus. Neuroendocrinology 32: 114- 117, 1981.
Gambert S.R., Garthwaite T.L., Pontrer C.H., Hägen T.C.: Age-related changes in central nervous system of beta-endorphin and ACTH. Neuroendocrinology 31: 252–255, 1980.
Steger R.W., Sonntag W.E., Van Vugt D.A., Forman L.J., Meites J.: Reduced ability of naloxone to stimulate LH and testosterone release in aging male rats: possible relation to increase in hypothalamic metenkephalin. Life Sci. 27: 747–753, 1980.
Tang F., Tang J., Chau J., Costa E.: Age-related and diurnal changes in Met5-Enk-Arg6-Phe7 and Met5- enkephalin contents of pituitary and rat brain structures. Life Sci. 35: 1005–1014, 1984.
Hess G.D., Joseph J.A., Roth G.S:: Effect of age on sensitivity to pain and brain opiate receptors. Neurobiol. Aging 2: 49–55, 1981.
Neisewander J.L., Nonneman A.J., McDougall S.A., Bardo M.T.: Up-regulation of opiate receptors following chronic naloxone treatment in aged rats. Neurobiol. Aging 10: 55–58, 1989.
Maggi R., Limonta P., Dondi D., Martini L., Piva F.: Distribution of kappa opioid receptors in the brain of young and old male rats. Life Sci. 45: 2085–2092, 1989.
Messing R.B., Vasquez B.J., Samaniego B., Jensen R.A., Martinez J.L., McGaugh J.L.: Alterations in dihydromorphine binding in cerebral hemispheres of aged male rats. J. Neurochem. 36: 784–790, 1981.
Petkov V.V., Petkov V.D., Grahovska T., Konstantinova E.: Enkephalin receptor changes in rat brain during aging. Gen. Pharmacol. 15: 491–495, 1984.
Piva F., Maggi R., Limonta P., Dondi D., Martini L: Decrease of mu opioid receptors in the brain and in the hypothalamus of the aged male rat. Life Sci. 40: 391–398, 1987.
Munson P.J., Rodbard D.: Computerized analysis of ligand binding data: basic principles and recent developments. In: Rodbard D., Forti G. (Eds.), Computers in Endocrinology. Raven Press, New York, 1984, vol. 14, pp. 117–145.
Bradford M.M.: A rapid and sensitive method for the quantitation of microgram quantities of protein utilizing the principle of protein-dye binding. Anal. Biochem. 72: 248–254, 1976.
Olasmaa M., Limonta P., Maggi R., Dondi D., Martini L., Piva F.: Further evidence that gonadal steroids do not modulate brain opiate receptors in male rats. Endocrinol. Jpn. 34: 521–529, 1987.
Munson P.J., Rodbard D.: LIGAND: a versatile computerized approach for characterization of ligand-binding systems. Anal. Biochem. 107: 220–239, 1980.
Feldman H.A.: Mathematical theory of complex ligand-binding systems at equilibrium: some methods for parameter fitting. Anal. Biochem. 48: 317–338,1972.
Ueno E., Duan Liu D., Ho I.K., Hoskins B.: Opiate receptor characteristics in brain from young, mature and aged mice. Neurobiol. Aging 9: 279–283, 1988.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Dondi, D., Maggi, R., Limonta, P. et al. Binding characteristics of delta opioid receptors in different regions of the brain of young and old male rats as studied with the highly selective ligand [D-PEN2-D-PEN5] enkephalin. Aging Clin Exp Res 4, 69–75 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03324070
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03324070