DISTRIBUTION OF 6R-L-ERYTHRO-5,6,7,8-TETRAHYDROBIOPTERIN IN REGIONAL BRAIN-AREAS OF INBRED STRAINS OF RATS AND MICE WITH DIFFERENT ALCOHOL PREFERENCES

6R-L-erythro-5,6,7,8-tetrahydrobiopterin (6R-BH4) is a coenzyme for ty rosine, tryptophan and phenylalanine hydroxylases, the former two of w hich are the initial and the rate-limiting enzymes in the biosynthesis of catecholamines and serotonin, respectively. The present study was conducted to determine the levels of 6R-BH4 in the inbred strains of r ats BN and F344, and the inbred strains of mice C57BL/6J, C3H/HeJ and DBA/2J, with different genetically determined alcohol preferences. Pre vious studies have shown that BN and F344 rats exhibit a high and low alcohol preference, respectively; that C57BL/6J and DBA/2J mice show a high and low alcohol preference, respectively, and that C3H/HeJ mice exhibit a moderate alcohol preference. The levels of 6R-BH4 were measu red in five regional brain areas of rats and in two regional brain are as of mice. There was about a 3-fold difference in 6R-BH4 levels acros s the rat brain areas assayed, ranging from a low level in the frontal cortex to a high level in the striatum and midbrain. Midbrain 6R-BH4 levels in F344 rats were higher than those of BN rats (p < 0.05). On t he other hand, striatal 6R-BH4 levels in DBA/2J mice were higher than those of the other two strains of mice (p < 0.05). These results indic ate that 6R-BH4 is distributed throughout the nigro- and mesostriatal dopaminergic nervous systems, and that brain 6R-BH4 levels may be invo lved in the genetic differences in alcohol-drinking behavior in animal models.