AN AUTORADIOGRAPHIC STUDY OF THE UPTAKE AND STORAGE OF NOREPINEPHRINE-H³ IN TISSUES OF MICE TREATED WITH RESERPINE AND COCAINE

¹ Neurochemistry Laboratory, Cleveland Psychiatric Institute, Cleveland, and Pharmacology Laboratory, Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, Ohio

The effects of pretreatment with reserpine and cocaine upon autoradiographic localization of radioactivity derived from norepinephrine-H³ in mouse tissues were investigated. Significant reductions of uptake and storage of radioactivity were found in the heart and vas deferens of mice treated with reserpine. Pretreatment with cocaine resulted in delayed uptake, but substantially normal storage of radioactivity was observed in structures which appeared to be adrenergic nerve endings.

The adrenal gland demonstrated subcapsular norepinephrine binding sites also resembling adrenergic nerve fibers. Retention of uptake and storage by most chromaffin cell clusters was found in the adrenal medulla of mice treated with reserpine. Cocaine pretreatment markedly delayed uptake but did not affect storage.

The median eminence of the hypothalamus revealed reduction of norepinephrine uptake by reserpine, particularly in the ventral portion adjacent to the pituitary stalk. Cocaine produced even greater reduction of uptake in the median eminence in all portions of this structure. Both cocaine and reserpine reduced storage capacity of radioactivity.

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