Brain Dopamine and Serotonin Receptor Sites Revealed by Digital Subtraction Autoradiography

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Autoradiography combined with image analysis permitted quantitative visualization of dopamine (D 2 ) and serotonin (S 2 ) binding sites in rat brain. Forebrain sections were incubated with tritiated spiroperidol alone or with tritiated spiroperidol plus unlabeled compounds that saturated the D 2 or S 2 sites. By subtracting the digitized image of an autoradiograph derived from the latter sections from that of the former, the D 2 or S 2 sites were specifically revealed. The resulting quantitative images demonstrate the differing anatomical distributions of these sites. The D 2 site is largely restricted to the striatal complex (caudate-putamen, nucleus accumbens septi, and olfactory tubercle), whereas the S 2 site is enriched in layer 5 of motor cortex, the perirhinal and cingulate cortices, and the claustrum.