Quantitative autoradiography of angiotensin II receptors in brain and kidney: focus on cardiovascular implications

Quantitative techniques of receptor autoradiography have been applied to localize [125I]-angiotensin II binding sites in brain and kidney. High densities of autoradiographic grains, indicating the presence of angiotensin II receptors, have been localized to several rat brain nuclei including the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus, nucleus of the solitary tract, anterior pituitary, locus coeruleus and several hypothalamic nuclei. Cat thoracic spinal cord exhibited a high density of sites over the intermedio-lateral cell column. In sections of rat kidney, angiotensin II receptors were detected in the glomerulus, vasa recta and ureter. The cardiovascular implications of these results are apparent and relate angiotensin II to hypertensive mechanisms. Thus, angiotensin II represents an endocoid which is involved in control of blood pressure through its effects on peripheral organs as well as the central nervous system.