Properties of putative nicotine receptors identified on cultured cortical neurons

Cultured cortical neurons derived from fetal rat brain contain putative high-affinity nicotinic receptors. Cortical glial cells do not contain any high-affinity binding sites for nicotine. The affinity, kinetic binding properties and pharmacological specificity of neuronal sites are the same as those determined for adult brain tissue. However, the number of sites in cultured neurons is lower than in adult cortex. Cultured cortical neurons appear to be a suitable model system for defining the location(s) and functional properties of high-affinity nicotinic receptors in mammalian brain.