Brain 5-HT uptake sites, labelled with [3H]paroxetine, in antidepressant-free depressed suicides.
Brain serotonin (5-HT) uptake sites were quantitated, by saturation binding of [3H]paroxetine, in 10 brain regions from 22 suicide victims and 20 control subjects. Suicide victims were restricted to those subjects in whom a firm retrospective diagnosis of depression was established and who had not recently been prescribed antidepressant drugs. The Kd and Bmax of [3H]paroxetine did not differ significantly between controls and depressed suicides in any of the brain regions. In putamen, Bmax values of suicides who died non-violently were lower than controls, whereas those who died by violent methods did not differ from controls. No significant differences between violent or non-violent suicides and their matched controls were found in other brain areas. These results offer little support for the view that suicide/depression is associated with an abnormality in 5-HT uptake.
Lawrence
K M
KM
Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology, St. George's Hospital Medical School, London, U.K.
De Paermentier
F
F
Cheetham
S C
SC
Crompton
M R
MR
Katona
C L
CL
Horton
R W
RW
D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017374:Paroxetine; D010880:Piperidines; D011985:Receptors, Serotonin / Q000032:analysis*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012702:Serotonin Antagonists; D013405:Suicide; D014316:Tritium
D010880:Piperidines; D011985:Receptors, Serotonin; D012702:Serotonin Antagonists; D014316:Tritium; D017374:Paroxetine