Cellular distribution of omega 3 (peripheral type benzodiazepine) binding sites in the normal and ischaemic rat brain: an autoradiographic study with the photoaffinity ligand [3H]PK 14105.

The microscopic distribution of omega 3 (peripheral type benzodiazepine) binding sites in sections from normal and ischaemic rat brain has been determined by emulsion autoradiography with the photoaffinity ligand [3H]PK 14105. In the normal rat brain, high densities of omega 3 sites were present in the ependymal cells, the apical pole of the secretory cells in the choroid plexus and astrocyte-like cells in the outer cellular layer of the olfactory bulb. In ischaemic brain lesions caused by middle cerebral artery occlusion in spontaneously hypertensive rats or in spontaneous ischaemic and haemorrhagic lesions in spontaneously hypertensive stroke-prone rats, the proliferating omega 3 sites were associated with reactive glial cells and macrophages.