High affinity (3H)tryptamine binding sites in various organs of the rat.

(3H)Tryptamine binds with high affinity (KD values around 4 nmol/l) to membranes from different organs of the rat. The number of binding sites was high in the liver, intermediate in the heart and cerebral cortex and low in other organs including ileum, kidney, spleen, stomach and lung. Binding to kidney membranes was investigated in more detail. It was rapid and reversible (t1/2 7 min.). The structure-activity profile was characterized by high affinity of some beta-carbolines (IC50 = 20 - 200 nmol/l), medium affinity of serotonin (IC50 = 858 nmol/l) and low of methysergide (IC50 greater than 20 mumol/l). The findings correlate very well with binding characteristics to cerebral cortex membranes. Therefore, rat brain cortex and other organs contain the same type of (3H)tryptamine binding site and may be equally appropriate for further analysis.