Muscarinic receptors of the vascular bed: radioligand binding studies on bovine splenic veins.

Despite an obvious lack of parasympathetic innervation to the spleen, pharmacological evidence suggests the presence of cholinergic receptors in isolated bovine splenic veins. We therefore studied muscarinic cholinergic binding sites in a bovine splenic vein preparation by direct radioligand binding techniques using [3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate ([3H]QNB) as radioactive probe. Saturation experiments indicated one homogeneous class of high-affinity binding sites, with a KD of 0.11 nM and a binding site density Bmax of 55 fmol/mg protein. The rate constants at 37 degrees C for formation and dissociation of the [3H]QNB receptor complex were 2.7 X 10(9) M-1 h-1 and 0.38 h-1, respectively, yielding a KD of 0.14 nM. The binding sites showed a high stereospecificity, which was evident from competition experiments with dexetimide (KI = 1.3 nM) and levetimide (KI = 4.6 microM). In competition experiments with muscarinic and nicotinic antagonists and some antidepressants, only one binding site was found, whereas with muscarinic agonists, two binding sites were detected. In the presence of 0.1 mM guanyl-imido-diphosphate, only one binding site could be identified with the muscarinic agonist carbamylcholine. The affinity of [3H]QNB, on the other hand, was slightly decreased, and Bmax values were unchanged. It is concluded that specific, saturable, high-affinity muscarinic binding sites in the bovine splenic vein have been identified and characterized that exhibit properties similar to cholinergic receptors of brain and peripheral tissues and probably mediate acetylcholine-induced relaxation of splenic veins.