C. Bladen et Sr. Vincent, CHARACTERIZATION AND LOCALIZATION OF [H-3] CYCLOSPORINE-A BINDING-SITES IN RAT-BRAIN, NeuroReport, 5(11), 1994, pp. 1386-1388
THE immunosuppressant drug [H-3]cyclosporin A binds specifically and w
ith high affinity to rat brain membrane preparations. The highest dens
ity of binding sites was observed in the hippocampus, cerebellum, cort
ex and basal ganglia. A similar distribution pattern was seen using a
quantitative autoradiographic analysis. This distribution agrees with
the localizations of cyclophilin and calcineurin reported in immunohis
tochemical and in situ hybridization studies. Thus inhibition of calci
neurin activity following cyclosporin A binding to cyclophilin may occ
ur in neurones, as it does in T-cells. These results suggest that the
neurological side-effects of cyclosporin A may be mediated through its
interaction with these proteins in neurones.