Evidence for an increase in [3H]spiperone binding in hypothalamic nuclei during the development of spontaneous...

The in vivo binding of [3H]spiperone was measured in discrete areas of the hypothalamus in 7, 9 and 16 weeks old spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and age matched normotensive Wistar Kyoto (WKY) controls. The specific binding of [3H]spiperone was significantly higher in the four different hypothalamic regions (H1, H2, H3, H4) that we have tested in 7 or 9 weeks old SHR than in age matched WKY controls. At 16 weeks a significant increase was only present in H3. These results suggest that dopaminergic hypothalamic neurons might be implicated in the onset of hypertension in the rat.