beta-Adrenergic receptor involvement in 6-hydroxydopamine-induced supersensitivity in rat cerebral cortex.

The intraventricular administration of 6-hydroxydopamine, a procedure which destroys noradrenergic nerve terminals in the central nervous system, caused an increase in the density of beta-adrenergic receptors in rat cerebral cortex, without affecting their affinity for isoproterenol. The results suggest that changes in the density of adrenergic receptors are involved in 6-hydroxydopamine-induced supersensitivity at central noradrenergic synapses.