Adaptive changes in the central noradrenergic system in monocular deprived rats.

Noradrenaline and dopamine content, K+-stimulated release of 3H-noradrenaline, 3H-noradrenaline high-affinity uptake, 3H-prazosin and 3H-rauwolscine binding to alpha 1- and alpha 2-adrenoreceptors, respectively, were studied in isolated visual structures (visual cortex, superior colliculus, lateral geniculate nucleus) of three-month-old rats monocularly deprived by unilateral eyelid closure at postnatal day 11. Monocular deprivation resulted in a number of changes in comparison with normal littermates, mainly in the lateral geniculate nucleus, both ipsilateral and contralateral to the closed eye. K+-stimulated release of noradrenaline and high-affinity noradrenaline uptake were significantly increased, 3H-rauwolscine binding to alpha 2-adrenergic receptor sites was decreased in the contralateral and ipsilateral lateral geniculate nucleus. 3H-Prazosin binding to alpha 1-adrenergic receptors as well as the levels or noradrenaline and dopamine in the lateral geniculate nucleus were unaffected by monocular deprivation. The data support the suggestion that the lateral geniculate nucleus plays a key role in modulating visual information processing and that the lack of an adequate visual input within the first weeks of life interferes mainly with the development of the noradrenergic system at the level of the lateral geniculate nucleus.