Simultaneous demonstration of neurotransmitter and receptor systems of the rat brain using in vivo double autoradiography.

Neurotransmitter and receptor systems of the rat brain were simultaneously observed by in vivo double autoradiography using a novel imaging plate analyzer system which was developed by Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd. The animals were subjected to intravenous administration of [18F]-6-fluoro-L-dopa ([18F]-DOPA) and [3H]YM-09151-2, a highly selective dopamine D2 antagonist. The radioactivities of [18F]-DOPA and [3H]YM-09151-2 were found to be highly concentrated in the striatum, demonstrating presynaptic and postsynaptic sites of the dopaminergic nigrostriatal tract, respectively. The [3H]YM-09151-2 was also found to be accumulated in the substantia nigra which is known to correspond with the distribution of dopamine D2 receptors. This method was shown to be useful for investigation of animal models with brain diseases.