The c-terminal neurotensin-(8-13) fragment potently modulates rat neostriatal dopamine-d(2) receptors

Academic Article
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publication date

  • March 1993

abstract

  • The effects of neurotensin fragments and of neurotensin itself on the characteristics of neostriatal dopamine D2 agonist binding were studied in competition experiments with dopamine using the D2 antagonist, [3H]raclopride. The biologically active neurotensin-(8-13) fragment, but not the inactive neurotensin-(1-7) fragment, caused a concentration-related increase in the KH and KL values of dopamine with a maximal increase by 110 and 97%, respectively, at 1 nM, while neurotensin-(1-13) only induced such changes at 10 nM. In view of the higher potency and the increased ability of neurotensin-(8-13) versus neurotensin (1-13) to reduce the affinities of the high- and low-affinity states of the neostriatal D2 receptors, the C-terminal neurotensin fragments may be among the endogenous ligands of the neostriatal neurotensin receptors.