Serotonin 5-HT2 receptors in schizophrenic patients studied by positron emission tomography.
Using positron emission tomography (PET) and [11C]N-methylspiperone (NMSP), we examined 5-HT2 receptors in the cortex of schizophrenic patients in whom we previously observed decreased prefrontal D1 receptor binding. The subjects were 10 neuroleptic-naive schizophrenic patients, 7 schizophrenic patients who were drug-free but had previously been treated with neuroleptics, and 12 normal controls. A non-significant trend towards decreased prefrontal [11C]NMSP binding was observed in the neuroleptic-treated patients, suggesting a possible effect of previous neuroleptic treatment on the alteration in cortical 5-HT2 function. However, the neuroleptic-naive patients showed no noticeable difference in cortical [11C]NMSP binding compared to controls. Our results do not rule out the role of 5-HT2 function as a crucial site of therapeutic activity of schizophrenia, but they do suggest that cortical 5-HT2 receptors might not be primarily involved in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia.
Okubo
Y
Y
Department of Neurobehavioral Medicine, Graduate School of Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Japan. okubo.psyc@med.tmd.ac.jp
Suhara
T
T
Suzuki
K
K
Kobayashi
K
K
Inoue
O
O
Terasaki
O
O
Someya
Y
Y
Sassa
T
T
Sudo
Y
Y
Matsushima
E
E
Iyo
M
M
Tateno
Y
Y
Toru
M
M
D000328:Adult; D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D011985:Receptors, Serotonin / Q000032:analysis*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000378:metabolism*; D013134:Spiperone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed
D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D011985:Receptors, Serotonin; D013134:Spiperone; C039167:3-N-methylspiperone