alpha-Methyl tryptophan as a tracer for in vivo studies of brain serotonin system, from autoradiography to positron emission tomography.
The procedure for measuring the brain serotonin synthesis rate in living brain using labelled alpha-methyl-L-tryptophan (alpha-MTrp), a tryptophan analog, is described. This tracer could also be used for the anterograde axonal transport measurement of serotonin. One advantage of this method is that alpha-MTrp is converted in situ into a serotonin tracer, alpha-methyl serotonin, and should be distributed into the same compartments as serotonin.
Diksic
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Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Quebec, Canada.
D000818:Animals; D001345:Autoradiography; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000502:physiology; D004285:Dogs; D051381:Rats; D012701:Serotonin / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000502:physiology*; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed; D014364:Tryptophan / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*
C020774:alpha-methyltryptophan; D012701:Serotonin; D014364:Tryptophan