Comparison of typical and atypical benzodiazepines on the central and peripheral benzodiazepine receptors

The affinities of typical and atypical benzodiazepines (BZs) for 3H-flunitrazepam (FLU) and 3H-Ro 5-4864, "peripheral" BZ, binding sites in the central nervous system (CNS) were compared. Each dissociation constant (Kd) value of the 3H-FLU binding sites in the cerebellum, cortex, hippocampus and spinal cord showed the similar results, although the binding maximum (Bmax) for the cortex and cerebellum yielded the largest value and the smallest Bmax appeared in the spinal cord. In contrast, Bmax for 3H-Ro 5-4864 binding sites were about three-fold higher in the spinal cord than in the cerebellum. Among the drugs tested, brotizolam demonstrated the highest affinity for 3H-FLU binding sites in the four regions. Typical and atypical BZs did not normally show different affinities for the two BZ receptor subtypes, except for CL 218,872 and Ro 5-4864. A series of compounds including Ro 5-4864, PK 11195, diazepam and brotizolam had high affinity for the 3H-Ro 5-4864 binding sites in the cerebellum and spinal cord. Other BZs did not show affinity for "peripheral" BZ binding sites in the CNS. In conclusion, brotizolam (or atypical BZ) had the binding affinity to both "central" and "peripheral" BZ receptors, like diazepam (a typical BZ).