Stereospecific and Nonspecific Interactions of the Morphine Congener Levorphanol in Subcellular Fractions of Mouse Brain

Abstract

A METHOD IS DESCRIBED FOR ANALYZING THE ASSOCIATION OF THE OPIATE NARCOTIC LEVORPHANOL WITH BRAIN TISSUE INTO THREE COMPONENTS: nonsaturable, saturable nonspecific, and saturable stereospecific. The method may be of general applicability for the study of the interaction of drugs with body tissues. In mouse brain the stereospecific binding of levorphanol represents only 2% of the total association of drug with tissue, and it was found only in certain membrane fractions. The material responsible for the stereospecific binding might be the opiate receptor.