Abstract
Publisher Summary This chapter describes the neurotransmitter uptake as a tool in identifying neurotransmitter-specific pathways. The location of norepinephrine (NE)-containing neurons in the brain has been well studied by histochemical methods. The uptake of NE by slices of rat brain or by synaptosomal preparations from brain is also well studied and has been found to be sodium-dependent, ouabain-sensitive and saturable. There is abundant evidence that the sites of NE uptake in brain, under high-affinity conditions are localized to NE-containing neurons. It is observed that catecholamine neurons have a reserpine resistant mechanism for accumulating NE. Moreover, the uptake of radioactive NE is markedly reduced in tissue which has had its NE neurons destroyed by pretreatment with the drug 6-hydroxydopamine, by placement of electrolytic lesions in the ascending NE tracts or by destruction of NE cell bodies in the locus coeruleus. It is also known that NE is accumulated by more than one system in the brain tissue. There appears to be both a high and low affinity uptake system, and it is the high affinity system which appears to be localized to NE containing neurons.
Published Version
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