Increased platelet vesicular monoamine transporter density in adult schizophrenia patients.
Vesicular monoamine transporter (VMAT2) plays a major role in the synaptic accumulation and release of monoamines. In the present study, we assessed high affinity [(3)H]dihydrotetrabenazine binding to platelet VMAT2 in a group of treated (n = 9) and untreated (n = 4) patients with schizophrenia and age- and sex-matched controls. Significantly elevated platelet VMAT2 density (B(max)) (53%, P<0.0001) was observed in the mixed population of schizophrenia patients. The affinity of the ligand (K(d)) to platelet VMAT2 was similar in both groups. The increased platelet VMAT2 density may indicate a schizophrenia-related hyperactivity of the monoaminergic system or an adaptive response to chronic drug treatment.
Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
Michal
M
Zucker
Avi
A
Valevski
Abraham
A
Weizman
Moshe
M
Rehavi
D000328:Adult; D001667:Binding, Competitive; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D008875:Middle Aged; D009479:Neuropeptides; D011485:Protein Binding; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D013747:Tetrabenazine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000378:metabolism; D014316:Tritium; D050492:Vesicular Biogenic Amine Transport Proteins; D050493:Vesicular Monoamine Transport Proteins
D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D009479:Neuropeptides; C493452:SLC18A2 protein, human; D050492:Vesicular Biogenic Amine Transport Proteins; D050493:Vesicular Monoamine Transport Proteins; D014316:Tritium; C032811:dihydrotetrabenazine; D013747:Tetrabenazine