Elsevier

Neuroscience Letters

Volume 190, Issue 3, 12 May 1995, Pages 163-166
Neuroscience Letters

Localisation of dopamine D3 receptor in the rat cerebellar cortex: a light microscope autoradiographic study

https://doi.org/10.1016/0304-3940(95)11530-AGet rights and content

Abstract

The pharmacological properties and the anatomical localisation of dopamine D3 receptor were assessed in the rat cerebellar cortex using radioligand binding techniques associated with light microscope autoradiography and 7-[3H]hydroxy-N,N-di-n-propyl-2-aminotetralin (7-[3H]OH-DPAT) as a ligand. 7-[3H]OH-DPAT was specifically bound to sections of rat cerebellar cortex with a dissociation constant (Kd) of 0.5 nM and a maximum density of binding sites (Bmax) of 97 ± 4 fmol/mg tissue. The rank order of potency of competitors of 7-[3H]OH-DPAT binding and the observation that guanosine triphosphate did not affect radioligand binding suggest the labelling of a dopamine D3 receptor. 7-[3H]OH-DPAT binding sites are located mainly in the molecular layer and in lesser amounts in the Purkinje neuron layer, primarily within the cell body of Purkinje neurons. No specific accumulation of silver grains was observed in the granule neuron layer or in the white matter of the cerebellar cortex. The localisation of a putative dopamine D3 receptor within Purkinje neurons suggests that this site may have functional relevance in the cerebellar cortex.

References (23)

  • C.L. Chio et al.

    Activation of heterologously expressed D3 dopamine receptors: comparison with D2 dopamine receptors

    Mol. Pharmacol.

    (1994)
  • Cited by (21)

    • Microanatomical localization of dopamine receptor protein immunoreactivity in the rat cerebellar cortex

      2000, Brain Research
      Citation Excerpt :

      Autoradiographic studies were unable to identify DA receptor subtypes expressed by cerebellar cortex. This is due to the lack of truly selective radioligands, although the presence of DA D1B and D3 receptors was suggested by recent investigations [23, 31, 32]. The development of anti-DA receptor protein antibodies has enlarged our knowledge on the cellular distribution of DA receptor subtypes in different brain areas including cerebellar cortex [2, 3, 12, 16].

    View all citing articles on Scopus

    The present study was supported in part by grants from the Italian National Research Council (C.N.R.) and from Camerino University.

    View full text