Serotonin transporter binding sites and mRNA levels in depressed persons committing suicide.
The serotonin transporter (5-HTT) has been found altered in postmortem brain samples from persons committing suicide, but the results of radioligand binding studies have been inconsistent. In the present series of experiments, autoradiographic radioligand binding and in situ hybridization techniques were utilized to examine 5-HTT function in the brains of 8 depressed subjects who had committed suicide, and matched controls. It was hypothesized that depressed subjects would demonstrate decreased numbers of 5-HTT binding sites and mRNA; however, [125I]RTI-55 binding to the 5-HTT was not different in the midbrain, hippocampus, or frontal cortex of depressed subjects. Also, 5-HTT mRNA levels in dorsal and median raphe nuclei were not different between controls and depressed subjects. The current results, although limited in scope because of the small number of subjects included, offer no evidence that alterations in the 5-HTT occur in pertinent brain regions of depressed individuals.
Little
K Y
KY
Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA.
McLauglin
D P
DP
Ranc
J
J
Gilmore
J
J
Lopez
J F
JF
Watson
S J
SJ
Carroll
F I
FI
Butts
J D
JD
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001345:Autoradiography; D001665:Binding Sites; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000378:metabolism*; D003042:Cocaine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000378:metabolism*; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D008875:Middle Aged; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000378:metabolism*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D011869:Radioligand Assay; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology*
D002352:Carrier Proteins; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C493230:SLC6A4 protein, human; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; C069723:2beta-carbomethoxy-3beta-(4-iodophenyl)tropane; D003042:Cocaine