Abstract
[ 125I]α-Bungarotoxin (α-Btx) binding was quantified in autoradiographs of in vitro labeled sections through the rat suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). Recent evidence suggests that acetylcholine and α-Btx binding sites in the SCN region 25 may mediate effects of light on circadian functions. In contrast to the ventrolateral termination of retinal axons, there was a consistent pattern of relatively high α-Btx binding levels in the dorsolateral SCN and low levels in the ventromedial SCN. In addition, enucleation had little or no effect. We also investigated the possibility that phase-dependent influences of light on circadian functions could reflect the presence of light-induced or daily rhythms in α-Btx binding. Animals were tested in a light-dark cycle or after 1–2 days in constant light. The dorsolateral SCN showed a small but significant decline of α-Btx binding in animals in light at night compared to darkness at night. α-Btx binding in the SCN showed no statistically significant daily variation in animals in the light-dark cycle.
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