Proceedings of the Physiological Society, 4‐5 January 1985, Guy's Hospital Meeting: Poster Communications

Abstract

(al) was present at very low levels, reaching only 2-3 times non-specific. Most of the sites were in ventral horn and the deeper laminae of dorsal horn. Alpha-2 receptors, however (labelled by [3H]rauwolscine) were present at high levels, concentrated in laminae I/II and the intermediomedial zone, with moderate density in the rest of the grey matter. The opiate receptors were highly concentrated in laminae I/II, as were muscarinic receptors, which also showed moderate levels throughout most of the grey matter. The results accord with the brief report of Young & Kuhar (1980) in rat cervical cord and are consistent with a2-but not al-mediated effects of NA on the processing of nociceptive input in the superficial laminae of dorsal horn.