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Atrial natriuretic factor receptor subtypes in the rat central nervous system
E M Konrad1, G Thibault, E L Schiffrin
1Laboratory of Pathobiology, Clinical Research Institute of Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Hypertension (Dallas, Tex. : 1979)
|June 1, 1991
Summary
This study identified atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) receptor subtypes in the rat brain using autoradiography. ANF receptors were found in specific brain regions, with distinct binding characteristics for different receptor subtypes.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Endocrinology
- Receptor Pharmacology
Background:
- Atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) plays a role in cardiovascular and central nervous system regulation.
- Understanding the distribution and subtypes of ANF receptors in the brain is crucial for elucidating ANF's central functions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the presence and anatomical distribution of ANF receptor subtypes within the rat central nervous system.
- To characterize the binding affinities and selectivities of different ANF receptor subtypes in specific brain regions.
Main Methods:
- In vitro autoradiography using radiolabeled 125I-ANF.
- Competition binding assays with unlabeled ANF and selective ANF receptor subtype peptides (C-ANF, ANF-(Phe106-Ile113)-NH2).
- 125I-ANF cross-linking studies to identify receptor molecular weights.
Main Results:
- Specific ANF binding sites were detected in various rat central nervous system areas, including the choroid plexus, pia-arachnoid, olfactory bulb, subfornical organ, area postrema, and habenular nucleus.
- ANF exhibited high-affinity binding in these regions. C-ANF and ANF-(Phe106-Ile113)-NH2 showed selective, high-potency competition in the choroid plexus and pia-arachnoid.
- Cross-linking identified a 120-kDa high molecular weight receptor in the olfactory bulb, but not a low molecular mass receptor.
Conclusions:
- The rat central nervous system expresses ANF receptors with distinct regional distributions and pharmacological properties.
- These findings suggest the presence of at least two ANF receptor subtypes in the rat brain, with specific localization in certain areas like the choroid plexus and pia-arachnoid.