Effects of spinal cord lesions and rhizotomies on cholinergic and opiate receptor binding sites in rat spinal cord

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Abstract
Changes in the distribution of [3H]quinuclidinylbenzilate ([3H]QNB), [3H] alpha‐bungaro‐toxin [3H]alpha‐Btx) and [3H]etorphine binding sites were studied autoradiographically, and cholinacetyltransferase (ChAT) activity radioenzymatically, in the C6–7 segments of rats 1–20 days after combined dorsal and ventral C3–8 rhizotomies and spinal cord lesions at C3. After dorsal and ventral rhizotomies the number of [3H]QNB, [3H]alpha‐Btx and [3H]etorphine binding sites were reduced ipsilaterally in the dorsal horn and those of [3H]QNB and [3H]alpha‐Btx in the ventral horn. In the ventral horn ChAT activity was significantly reduced. After a unilateral spinal cord lesion at C3, ChAT activity was reduced in the ipsilateral ventral horn at C6–7 caudal to the lesions, whereas no change in receptor binding sites was observed.