I-125 ENDOTHELIN-1 BINDING TO BRAIN AND CARDIAC MEMBRANES FROM NORMOTENSIVE AND SPONTANEOUSLY HYPERTENSIVE RATS

125I-labelled endothelin-1 was used to identify specific high affinity endothelin-1 binding sites in left ventricular and brain membranes harvested from female age-matched normotensive Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Relative to results obtained for brain membranes from normatensive rats, brain membranes from hypertensive rats exhibited an increase in 125I-endothelin-1 binding site density (P<0.02). In left ventricular membranes from the hypertensive rats 125I-endothelin-1 binding site density was reduced (P<0.02), relative to the density in ventricular membranes of normotensive rats. These results indicate that hypertension may have an organ specific effect on 125I-endothelin-1 binding site density. © 1990.