Positron emission tomography imaging of the serotonin transporter in subjects with a history of alcoholism.
BACKGROUND
Our purpose was to investigate the serotonin transporter (SERT) in various brain regions of alcoholics using positron emission tomography and C-11 McN5652.


METHODS
Thirty-two adult subjects were involved, 17 social drinkers as control subjects and 15 subjects who were abstinent or recovering alcoholics. Concomitant psychiatric diseases were ruled out based on DSM-IV criteria. The majority of subjects were men. Radioligand binding in 11 brain areas was expressed as the total distribution volume (DV), distribution volume of specific binding (DV(spec)), and distribution volume ratio (DVR). The cerebellum was used as reference tissue for calculation of DV(spec) and DVR.


RESULTS
In subjects with a history of alcoholism, DV was lower in all brain regions, with significant differences in the midbrain, thalamus, amygdala, pons, cingulate gyrus, frontal cortex, and cerebellum. Additionally, DV(spec) was lower in all brain regions, but differences were only significant in the midbrain; DVR was lower in nine regions but the differences did not reach statistical significance.


CONCLUSIONS
These studies demonstrate lower binding of [(11)C](+)McN5652 to the SERT in the brain of abstinent or recovering alcoholics compared with control subjects. Differences in the radioligand distribution volumes are more significant before than after correction for nonspecific binding of the radioligand.
Szabo
Zsolt
Z
Department of Radiology, The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland 21287, USA.
Owonikoko
Taofeek
T
Peyrot
Mark
M
Varga
Jozsef
J
Mathews
William B
WB
Ravert
Hayden T
HT
Dannals
Robert F
RF
Wand
Gary
G
D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000235:genetics / Q000534:rehabilitation; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006179:Gyrus Cinguli / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007546:Isoquinolines / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D008875:Middle Aged; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D010641:Phenotype; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D012702:Serotonin Antagonists / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D013695:Temperance; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed
D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D007546:Isoquinolines; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C493230:SLC6A4 protein, human; D012702:Serotonin Antagonists; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; C058079:McN 5652