title: Autoradiographic distribution of serotonin transporters and receptor subtypes in human brain.
abstract: Several neurochemical in vitro and in vivo imaging studies have been aimed at characterizing the localization of serotonin receptors and transporters in the human brain. In this study, a detailed comparison of the distribution of a number of 5-HT receptor subtypes and the 5-HT transporter was carried out in vitro using human postmortem brain tissue. Anatomically adjacent whole hemisphere sections were incubated with specific radioligands for the 5-HT(1A), 5-HT(1B), 5-HT(2A), 5-HT(4) receptors and the 5-HT transporter. The autoradiograms revealed different laminar and regional distribution patterns in the isocortex, where 5-HT(1A) and 5-HT(4) receptor binding showed highest densities in superficial layers and 5-HT(2A) receptor binding was most abundant in middle layers. In cortical regions, 5-HT transporters were concentrated to several limbic lobe structures (posterior uncus, entorhinal, cingulate, insular and temporal polar regions). 5-HT(1A) receptor densities were also high in limbic cortical regions (hippocampus, posterior entorhinal cortex, and subcallosal area) compared to the isocortex. Subregionally different distribution patterns were observed in the basal ganglia with a trend toward higher levels in ventral striatal (5-HT(1B) receptors) and pallidal (5-HT transporters and 5-HT(1B) receptors) regions. The localization in regions belonging to limbic cortico-striato-pallido-thalamic circuits is in line with the documented role of 5-HT in modulation of mood and emotion, and the suggested involvement of this system in pathophysiology of various psychiatric disorders. The qualitative and quantitative information reported in this study might provide important complements to in vivo neuroimaging studies of the 5-HT system.
authors.affiliation: Karolinska Institutet, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Psychiatry Section, Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Katarina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Varnäs
authors.forename: Christer
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Halldin
authors.forename: Håkan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hall
mesh_terms: D001345:Autoradiography; D001665:Binding Sites / Q000502:physiology; D001667:Binding, Competitive / Q000502:physiology; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism*; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D008875:Middle Aged; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D011869:Radioligand Assay; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D011985:Receptors, Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism*; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism*; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D011985:Receptors, Serotonin; C493230:SLC6A4 protein, human; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D012701:Serotonin