Increased renal neuroleptic binding in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

The present experiments demonstrate high affinity stereospecific binding of the dopaminergic ligand [3H]spiroperidol to rat renal membranes. The binding was saturable, regionally distributed, and showed the same specificity as the caudate [3H]spiroperidol site for displacement by dopaminergic antagonists. Since there is an association between hypertension and abnormalities of renal blood flow, which appears to be regulated in part by dopamine, [3H]spiroperidol binding was measured in kidneys of spontaneously hypertensive rats. In two independent experiments renal cortical [3H]spiroperidol stereospecific binding was increased in spontaneously hypertensive rats.