Increase in prefrontal cortex serotonin 2A receptors following estrogen treatment in postmenopausal women.
OBJECTIVE
This study investigated the effect of estrogen on brain serotonin 2A (5-HT(2A)) receptors in postmenopausal women and whether there was any correlation of receptor changes with cognition and mood.


METHODS
Ten postmenopausal subjects underwent positron emission tomography measurements of 5-HT(2A) receptor binding with [(18)F]deuteroaltanserin before and after estrogen replacement therapy.


RESULTS
5-HT(2A) receptor binding was significantly increased after estrogen replacement therapy in the right prefrontal cortex (right precentral gyrus [Brodmann's area 9], inferior frontal gyrus [Brodmann's area 47], medial frontal gyrus [Brodmann's area 6, 10] and the anterior cingulate cortex [Brodmann's area 32]). In the inferior frontal gyrus [Brodmann's area 44]), receptor up-regulation was correlated with change in plasma estradiol. Verbal fluency and Trail Making Test performance, but not mood, were significantly improved by estrogen without correlation with receptor changes.


CONCLUSIONS
Estrogen increases 5-HT(2A) receptor binding in human prefrontal regions.
Kugaya
Akira
A
Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, New Haven, Conn 06516, USA. akira@kugaya@yale.edu
Epperson
C Neill
CN
Zoghbi
Sami
S
van Dyck
Christopher H
CH
Hou
Yankun
Y
Fujita
Masahiro
M
Staley
Julie K
JK
Garg
Pradeep K
PK
Seibyl
John P
JP
Innis
Robert B
RB
D000279:Administration, Cutaneous; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004958:Estradiol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy; D005260:Female; D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007650:Ketanserin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000187:drug effects / Q000523:psychology*; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000737:chemistry / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D017966:Pyramidal Cells / Q000737:chemistry / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism; D044402:Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2A; D011985:Receptors, Serotonin / Q000032:analysis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes; D044402:Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2A; D011985:Receptors, Serotonin; D004958:Estradiol; C071983:altanserin; D007650:Ketanserin