Increased neuropeptide Y (NPY) receptor binding in hippocampus and cortex of spontaneous hypertensive (SH) rats compared to normotensive (WKY) rats

Specific 125I-NPY binding in various brain regions of spontaneous hypertensive (SH) rats and age-matched normotensive (WKY) rats was compared. SH rats exhibited significantly greater 125I-NPY binding than WKY rats in the hippocampus (43%) and cortex (18%), but not hypothalamus, midbrain, striatum or pons-medulla. Scatchard analysis indicated that the increased 125I-NPY binding in the hippocampus of SH rats represents a greater number of NPY binding sites.