Higher expression of serotonin 5-HT(2A) receptors in the postmortem brains of teenage suicide victims.
OBJECTIVE
Abnormalities of serotonin (5-HT) receptor subtypes have been observed in the postmortem brains of adult suicide victims; however, their role in teenage suicide is unexplored. The authors examined whether 5-HT(2A) receptor subtypes are altered in the postmortem brains of teenage suicide victims.


METHODS
Levels of 5-HT(2A) receptors were determined through examination of [(125)I] LSD binding, protein expression (by use of Western blotting with a specific 5-HT(2A) receptor antibody), and mRNA (by means of quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction) in the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, and nucleus accumbens of 15 teenage suicide victims and 15 normal matched teenage subjects. The cellular localization of the 5-HT(2A) receptors was determined by means of gold immunolabeling.


RESULTS
The authors observed significantly higher [(125)I]LSD binding in the prefrontal cortex and greater protein expression and mRNA levels in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus but not in the nucleus accumbens of suicide victims, compared with normal subjects. Greater protein expression was localized on pyramidal cells in cortical layer V but not in other cortical layers or in the surrounding neuropil of the prefrontal cortex of teenage suicide victims.


CONCLUSIONS
The evidence indicates higher levels of 5-HT(2A) receptor, protein, and mRNA expression in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus, which have been implicated in emotion, stress, and cognition. There was no higher level in the nucleus accumbens, which has been implicated in drug dependence and craving. Our findings suggest that a higher level of 5-HT(2A) receptors may be one of the neurobiological abnormalities associated with teenage suicide.
Pandey
Ghanshyam N
GN
Psychiatric Institute, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, 60612, USA. gnpandey@psych.uic.edu
Dwivedi
Yogesh
Y
Rizavi
Hooriyah S
HS
Ren
Xinguo
X
Pandey
Subhash C
SC
Pesold
Christine
C
Roberts
Rosalinda C
RC
Conley
Robert R
RR
Tamminga
Carol A
CA
D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D002423:Cause of Death; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D008238:Lysergic Acid Diethylamide; D008297:Male; D009714:Nucleus Accumbens / Q000737:chemistry; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D044402:Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2A; D011985:Receptors, Serotonin / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D009418:S100 Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D013405:Suicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D044402:Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2A; D011985:Receptors, Serotonin; D009418:S100 Proteins; D008238:Lysergic Acid Diethylamide