Serotonergic mechanisms in brains of suicide victims.
Serotonergic mechanisms have been investigated in postmortem brain samples from controls and suicide victims. The concentrations of 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin; 5-HT) and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) were determined in occipital cortex and hippocampus and the high-affinity binding of ligands to the 5-HT1, 5-HT2 and imipramine-binding sites was assessed in frontal cortex, occipital cortex and hippocampus. The only significant difference between the two groups was a modest increase in 5-HIAA levels in the hippocampus of suicide victims. There was no evidence to suggest that those suicide victims with a clinical history of depression represented a subgroup with altered metabolite levels or binding values. The storage conditions of the samples were not related to the metabolite levels or binding values. There was, however, a significant positive correlation between [3H]imipramine binding and age in some brain regions. The results do not provide any evidence of gross alterations in 5-HT mechanisms in suicide or depression.
Owen
F
F
Chambers
D R
DR
Cooper
S J
SJ
Crow
T J
TJ
Johnson
J A
JA
Lofthouse
R
R
Poulter
M
M
D000328:Adult; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000378:metabolism; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D006897:Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009778:Occipital Lobe / Q000378:metabolism; D009994:Osmolar Concentration; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism*; D013405:Suicide; D014018:Tissue Distribution
D012701:Serotonin; D006897:Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid