Loss of β-adrenoceptor binding sites in rat striatum following kainic acid lesions

Abstract

Intrastriatal injection of kainic acid (5 nmoles) to rats led to a severe destruction of nerve cell bodies through-out the caudate-putamen complex and an extensive proliferation of glial cells. Lesioned striata displayed a significatn 23% loss of β-adrenoceptor binding sites 21–24 days after injection of kainic acid. Further analysis of these changes revealed that his loss of sites was selectively within the β 1 receptor population. Although these results do not rule out a partial glial cell localisation for β-adrenoceptors, they do indicate that at least a proportion of β 1 receptors are present on striatal perikarya