Serotonin transporter availability correlates with alcohol intake in non-human primates.
A low level of alcohol intoxication upon initial exposure and impulsive aggressiveness predispose humans to alcoholism. In non-human primates, central serotonin transporter availability and turnover rate were associated with aggressive behavior and a low response to initial alcohol exposure. We assessed the respective effects of these factors on alcohol intake in a free choice paradigm. Serotonin transporter availability in the raphe area, the origin of central serotonergic projections, was measured with single-photon emission computed tomography and the radioligand [(123)I]beta-CIT in 11 rhesus monkeys with low and high central serotonin turnover. The amount of alcohol intake in the 3-month observation period was positively correlated with serotonin transporter availability (R=0.76, P=0.006), but not with aggressiveness (R=0.19, P=0.6) or alcohol response upon first exposure (R=-0.48, P=0.2). In a linear multiple regression analysis with serotonin transporter availability, alcohol response, and aggressiveness as independent variables, 82% of the variance of alcohol intake was explained and serotonin transporter availability emerged as the only statistically significant factor (beta=7.81, P=0.006). These observations indicate that there may be a direct relationship between serotonin transporter availability and alcohol intake after controlling for aggression and alcohol response on first exposure.
Heinz
A
A
Clinical Brain Disorders Branch, NIMH/NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA. andreas.heinz@charite.de
Jones
D W
DW
Gorey
J G
JG
Bennet
A
A
Suomi
S J
SJ
Weinberger
D R
DR
Higley
J D
JD
D000374:Aggression / Q000502:physiology; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000523:psychology; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D003042:Cocaine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D016014:Linear Models; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon
D002352:Carrier Proteins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; C069723:2beta-carbomethoxy-3beta-(4-iodophenyl)tropane; D003042:Cocaine