Inhibitory effect of octopamine on dopamine D-1 receptor in striatal homogenates of the rat.

In the striatal homogenates of rats, octopamine produced a dose-dependent inhibition of dopamine D-1 receptor both in the receptor binding of [3H]Sch-23390 and the formation of cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cyclic AMP) stimulated by dopamine in the presence of sulpiride. Failure of octopamine in the displacement of binding with [3H]N-0437, one of the radioligands for the dopamine D-2 receptor, indicated the specific selectivity of octopamine to dopamine D-1 receptor sites. Lack of effect on forskolin-stimulated formation of cyclic AMP ruled out the possible direct effect of octopamine on adenylate cyclase. These results suggest that octopamine possesses the ability to bind to striatal dopamine D-1 receptors of rats.