Interaction of sulpiride with human pituitary dopaminergic receptors is sodium dependent

The effects of various drugs on [3H]-spiroperidol binding to human anterior pituitary and prolactinoma membranes are studied in the presence and in the absence of sodium chloride in the incubation medium. It is shown that in the absence of NaCl, 1-sulpiride is significantly less potent in displacing the radioactive ligand from its dopaminergic binding sites than in the presence of NaCl. On the contrary, the interaction of neuroleptics (d-butaclamol and haloperidol) and dopamine agonists (apomorphine and bromocriptine) was unaffected by the NaCl conditions.