Effects of spinal cord lesions and rhizotomies on cholinergic and opiate receptor binding sites in rat spinal cord.

Changes in the distribution of [3H]quinuclidinylbenzilate ([3H]QNB), [3H] alpha-bungaro-toxin ([3H]alpha-Btx) and [3H]etorphine binding sites were studied autoradiographically, and cholinacetyltransferase (ChAT) activity radioenzymatically, in the C6-7 segments of rats 1-20 days after combined dorsal and ventral C3-8 rhizotomies and spinal cord lesions at C3. After dorsal and ventral rhizotomies the number of [3H]QNB, [3H]alpha-Btx and [3H]etorphine binding sites were reduced ipsilaterally in the dorsal horn and those of [3H]QNB and [3H]alpha-Btx in the ventral horn. In the ventral horn ChAT activity was significantly reduced. After a unilateral spinal cord lesion at C3, ChAT activity was reduced in the ipsilateral ventral horn at C6-7 caudal to the lesions, whereas no change in receptor binding sites was observed.