Differential response of hippocampal muscarinic cholinergic receptors to various deafferentations of the hippocampus in the rat.

The influence of bilateral electrolytic lesions of different parts of the septum on muscarinic receptor binding in the hippocampus was studied within 14-21 days after operation. The effect of total septal lesion upon receptor binding was also investigated separately in the dorsal and ventral hippocampus and in five consecutive hippocampal parts along the septotemporal axis of the structure. The data indicate that: (i) differential response of muscarinic receptors, as revealed by a decrease, increase or lack of changes in the [3H]QNB binding depends on the site and extent of the lesion, (ii) lack of changes in muscarinic receptor binding can be spurious when the investigation is performed on the whole hippocampus, and masked by regional response differences, (iii) differential response of [3H]QNB binding sites in distinct parts of the hippocampus to total septal lesion may depend on the preexisting differences in the density of cholinergic innervation and of muscarinic receptors.