Autoradiography of 1-and 2-Adrenoceptors

Receptor autoradiography is derived from receptor binding techniques that were originally developed for use in homogenate membranes or isolated cells. The use of tissue sections has the advantage of retaining anatomical information that can provide useful insights into cell signaling systems involved in neurotransmitter receptor interactions. Like homogenate membrane or whole-cell binding techniques, receptor autoradiography can also be used to derive kinetic, saturation, competition binding, and receptor density data. This chapter describes methods for receptor autoradiography using specific ligands that can be used to localize, characterize, and quantitate �1 - and �2 -adrenoceptors in anatomically defined regions.