title: Dopamine D1 and D2 receptor binding sites in brain samples from depressed suicides and controls.
abstract: Dopamine D1 and D2 receptors were measured (by saturation binding of [3H]SCH23390 and [3H]raclopride) in caudate, putamen and nucleus accumbens, obtained at post-mortem from suicide victims with a firm retrospective diagnosis of depression, and matched controls. There were no differences in the number or affinity of D1 or D2 receptors between suicides who had been free of antidepressants for at least three months prior to death, and controls. Increased numbers and decreased affinity of D2 receptors were however found in each brain region of antidepressant-treated suicides. We argue that these increases are related to concurrent treatment with neuroleptics rather than a direct effect of antidepressants. Increased numbers of D1 receptors in antidepressant-treated suicides were seen only in nucleus accumbens. This increase could not be clearly attributed to neuroleptics and may be related to antidepressant treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology, St. George's Hospital Medical School, London, UK.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bowden
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Theodorou
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Cheetham
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lowther
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Katona
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Crompton
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Horton
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001665:Binding Sites / Q000187:drug effects; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017447:Receptors, Dopamine D1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D017448:Receptors, Dopamine D2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D012016:Reference Values; D013405:Suicide; D014754:Violence
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D017447:Receptors, Dopamine D1; D017448:Receptors, Dopamine D2