Journal of Neuroscience, Vol 7, 213-222, Copyright © 1987 by Society for Neuroscience
Picomolar affinity of 125I-SCH 23982 for D1 receptors in brain demonstrated with digital subtraction autoradiography
CA Altar and MR Marien
Iodinated SCH 23390, 125I-SCH 23982 (DuPont-NEN), was examined using
quantitative autoradiography for its potency, selectivity, and anatomical
and neuronal localization of binding to the dopamine D1 receptor in rat
brain sections. 125I-SCH 23982 bound to D1 sites in the basal ganglia with
very high affinity (Kd values of 55-125 pM), specificity (70-85% of binding
was displaced by 5 microM cis- flupenthixol), and in a saturable manner
(Bmax values of 65-176 fmol/mg protein). Specific 125I-SCH 23982 binding
was displaced by the selective D1 antagonists SCH 23390 (IC50 = 90 pM) and
cis-flupenthixol (IC50 = 200 pM) and the D1 agonist SKF 38393 (IC50 = 110
nM) but not by D2-selective ligands (I-sulpiride, LY 171555) or the S2
antagonist cinanserin. Compared with 3H-SCH 23390, the 5- to 10-fold
greater affinity for the D1 site and 50-fold greater specific radioactivity
of 125I-SCH 23982 makes it an excellent radioligand for labeling the D1
receptor. The concentrations of D1 sites were greatest in the medial
substantia nigra and exceeded by over 50% the concentration of D1 sites in
the lateral substantia nigra, caudoputamen, nucleus accumbens, olfactory
tubercle, and entopeduncular nucleus. Lower concentrations of D1 sites were
present in the internal capsule, dorsomedial frontal cortex, claustrum, and
layer 6 of the neocortex. D1 sites were absent in the ventral tegmental
area. Intrastriatal injections of the axon- sparing neurotoxin, quinolinic
acid, depleted by 87% and by 46-58% the concentrations of displaceable D1
sites in the ipsilateral caudoputamen and medial and central pars
reticulata of the substantia nigra, respectively. No D1 sites were lost in
the lateral substantia nigra. Destruction of up to 94% of the mesostriatal
dopaminergic projection with 6-hydroxydopamine did not reduce D1 binding
nor, with one exception, increase striatal or nigral D1 receptor
concentrations. 125I- SCH 23982 selectively labels D1 binding sites on
striatonigral neurons with picomolar affinity, and these neurons contain
the majority of D1 sites in rat brain.