On the Blood-Brain Barrier to Peptides: [3H]Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Accumulation by Eighteen Regions of the Rat Brain and by Anterior Pituitary

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Abstract
After intracarotid injection of [3H]gonadotropin-releasing hormone ([3H]GnRH) the mean accumulation of radioactivity per unit wet weight of 18 investigated brain samples and the anterior pituitary was 0.38 ± 0.11% g−1 of the injected tracer dose. This indicates a low but measurable brain uptake of the peptide. The brain uptake of [3H]GnRH in blood-brain barrier (BBB)-protected regions is 5% of that of separately investigated [3H]OH. In BBB-free regions the accumulation of radioactivity was more than 25-fold higher than in BBB-protected regions. The accumulation of [3H]GnRH among regions with BBB varies less than among regions with leaky endothelia. The data presented for [3H]GnRH are similar to those for other peptides so far investigated.