Autoradiographic evidence of steroid affinity sites in nasal tissue.

Affinity sites of glucocorticoid (GC) in nasal tissue were investigated using radiolabelled synthetic GC. The affinity sites of GC are epithelium, vein, leukocyte and gland. The tracer was retained in the cytoplasma but not in the nuclei in most parts of the nasal tissue except for the endothelial cells of the vein. Therefore we assume that there is a direct mechanism of steroid action on nasal tissue suffering from allergic rhinitics other than the so-called steroid-receptor complex. Affinity sites of corticosterone (CS) in nasal tissue were investigated using radiolabelled CS. The differences of affinity sites of GC and mineralcorticoid in unsensitized rats were evaluated, but no major differences between them could be confirmed.