[3H]GBR 12935 binding in vivo in mouse brain: labelling of a piperazine acceptor site.

The binding of the selective dopamine uptake inhibitor [3H]GBR 12935 was studied in vivo in mouse brain. The binding was reversible with t1/2 = 80 min. The localisation of [3H]GBR 12935 binding and of dopaminergic receptors did not overlap. The binding of [3H]GBR 12935 was distributed almost uniformly throughout the brain. Also, the in vitro inhibition of dopamine uptake and the inhibition of in vivo [3H]GBR 12935 binding did not correlate when a series of relevant reference compounds was used. The potencies of various dopamine uptake inhibitors to induce stereotyped behavior did not correspond to the inhibitory potencies in the [3H]GBR 12935 binding assay. In conclusion, [3H]GBR 12935 labels in vivo a site which is different from the dopamine uptake complex. We have recently obtained results for the in vitro binding of [3H]GBR 12935 that indicate that this site could be a piperazine acceptor site.