It is unlikely that either of the two classes of striatal sites are receptors for serotonin. The approach described will make it possible to assess the effects of physiological or pharmacological manipulations on the densities or properties of subtypes of dopamine receptors.The striatum is thought to contain multiple subtypes of dopamine receptors. Kebabian et aL (1) characterized a dopaminesensitive adenylate cyclase activity in the striatum. In vitro binding assays using the butyrophenones [3H]haloperidol and [3H]spiroperidol also revealed the presence of dopamine receptors in this brain region (2-4). However, the properties and distribution of the binding sites for butyrophenones differed from those expected based on studies of dopamine-sensitive adenylate cyclase activity (5-7). A classification scheme was developed such that the subtypes ofdopamine receptors whose effects involved activation of adenylate cyclase were called D-1 receptors and receptors not linked to stimulation of the enzyme were called D-2 receptors (8).Guanine nucleotides decreased the affinity of [3H]spiroperidol binding sites in the striatum for agonists (9). By analogy to other receptor systems that are linked to activation of adenylate cyclase (10-12), we suggested that some of the sites labeled by[3H]spiroperidol were also linked to stimulation ofthis enzyme.
METHODSThe striatum or frontal cortex from male Sprague-Dawley rats was homogenized in 35 ml of 20 mM Hepes, pH 7.5/154 mM NaCl/5 mM EDTA. After centrifugation (20,000 X g for 10 min at 4°C) pellets were resuspended in 20 mM Hepes, pH 7.5/ 154 mM NaCI, incubated at 37°C for 15 min, and recentrifuged. Striatal membranes were resuspended in 20 mM Hepes/154 mM NaCl at a concentration of 2-4 mg of tissue per ml for studies of [3H]domperidone binding, 1-2 mg/ml for studies of [3H]spiroperidol binding in the striatum, and 4 mg/ml for studies of [3H]spiroperidol binding in frontal cortex.[3H]Domperidone (59.7 Ci/mmol; 1 Ci = 3.7 X 1010 becquerels), [3H]spiroperidol (29.9 Ci/mmol), drugs, and GTP (final concentration, 0.3 mM) were diluted in 2.6 mM ascorbic acid containing 20 ,ug of bovine serum albumin per ml.Binding reactions were carried out for 45 min at 37°C and then terminated by the addition of 10 ml ofice-cold 10 mM Tris, pH 7.5/154 mM NaCl. Samples were filtered through glass fiber filters (Schleicher & Schuell,no. 30) and washed with an additional 10 ml of the same buffer. Specific binding was defined as the difference between the amount of radioligand bound in the presence and absence of 2 ,uM (+) butaclamol. Protein content was determined by the method ofBradford (20).The untransformed data obtained in studies of the binding of [3H]domperidone were analyzed by nonlinear regression analysis using the computer modeling program SAAM27. The data were compared to model curves describing one, two, and three sites, and F-test analysis was used to determine the most appropriate model (21). Regression analysis of linear Scatchard, Hill, and Hofstee plots was carried out by the leas...