Brain Dopamine and Serotonin Receptor Sites Revealed by Digital Subtraction Autoradiography

Autoradiography combined with image analysis permitted quantitative visualization of dopamine (D2) and serotonin (S2) binding sites in rat brain. Forebrain sections were incubated with tritiated spiroperidol alone or with tritiated spiroperidol plus unlabeled compounds that saturated the D2 or S2 sites. By subtracting the digitized image of an autoradiograph derived from the latter sections from that of the former, the D2 or S2 sites were specifically revealed. The resulting quantitative images demonstrate the differing anatomical distributions of these sites. The D2 site is largely restricted to the striatal complex (caudate-putamen, nucleus accumbens septi, and olfactory tubercle), whereas the S2 site is enriched in layer 5 of motor cortex, the perirhinal and cingulate cortices, and the claustrum.