Noradrenergic alpha 2 binding sites in vagal dorsal motor nucleus and nucleus tractus solitarius: autoradiographic localization.

The distribution in the canine medulla oblongata of binding sites for p-[3H]aminoclonidine, a ligand specific for alpha 2-adrenergic receptors, was studied with light microscopic autoradiographic methods. Specific labelling was determined using unlabelled phentolamine as a displacer. The greatest density of sites was localized in the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus nerve, the area postrema, and in several regions of the nucleus tractus solitarius. Less dense binding of the radioligand was also seen in the inferior olivary nucleus. Dorsomedial regions of the nucleus tractus solitarius were the most densely labelled in this nucleus, and dorsolateral and ventral regions were much less densely labelled. The region of the nucleus tractus solitarius shown in this study to be heavily labelled with alpha 2-adrenergic binding sites has been implicated in the autonomic control of blood pressure. The dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus, together with the nucleus tractus solitarius, may thus represent the site of the antihypertensive action of the drug clonidine, an alpha 2-adrenoreceptor agonist.