Effects of early adrenalectomy on subsequent myelinogenesis in the rat CNS

We have measured the spec i f ic binding of (3H)5-HT l(3H)Serotoninl to neuronal membranes from the spinal cord at d i f f e ren t postnatal ages and in the adul t . K D and Bmax were calculated from the Scatchard analysis of saturat ion curves. In the adul t K D and Bma x were: 17.5 ± 7.5 nM and 1.260 + 0.060 pmole/spinal cord. At zero days (b i r t h ) binding was already saturable with a K D of 16.3 ± 4 . 9 nM and a Bmax of 0.117 ± 0.029 pmole/spinal cord. Bmax increased with age being about eight times as much on day 21. A f f i n i t y did not change with age. Tryptophan-5-hydroxylase a presynaptic marker develops very s im i l a r l y suggesting the formation of spec i f ic synapses.