Method of sacrifice influences leucine enkephalin binding to mouse brain

The methods used for sacrifice of animals and the time taken for any dissection procedures of the brain tissue at room temperature have been shown to influence the number of available binding sites for [3H] leucine enkephalin (10 nM) to mouse brain homogenates. These factors should be considered when utilizing receptor binding techniques as an indirect method for evaluating the in vitro functional state of opiate receptor populations.