Serotonin transporter availability in patients with schizophrenia: a positron emission tomography imaging study with [11C]DASB.
BACKGROUND
Postmortem studies have reported several alterations in serotonin transporter (SERT) binding parameters in patients with schizophrenia. The aim of this study was to compare SERT availability in vivo in patients with schizophrenia and matched control subjects.


METHODS
Ten medication-free patients with schizophrenia and 10 healthy subjects underwent positron emission tomography (PET) scans for 90 min after 11C-3-amino-4-(2-dimethylaminomethylphenylthio)benzonitrile ([11C]DASB) injection. Metabolite-corrected arterial input function was measured. Regional distribution volumes (mL/g) were derived with a two tissue compartment kinetic model. Outcome measures for SERT availability included binding potential (BP) and the specific-to-nonspecific equilibrium partition coefficient (V3''). Ten brain regions with high density of SERT and where SERT availability can be reliably quantified with [11C]DASB were included in the analysis.


RESULTS
No significant differences were observed in regional BP or V3'' between patients and control subjects. No significant relationships were observed between regional SERT availability and severity of positive, negative, and depressive symptoms.


CONCLUSIONS
This study failed to detect alterations of SERT availability in patients with schizophrenia; however, this study does not rule out the possibility that schizophrenia might be associated with alterations of SERT density in the cortical regions, where the [11C]DASB-specific binding signal is too low for reliable quantification of SERT.
Frankle
W Gordon
WG
Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and the New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York 10032, USA. wf2004@columbia.edu
Narendran
Rajesh
R
Huang
Yiyun
Y
Hwang
Dah-Ren
DR
Lombardo
Ilise
I
Cangiano
Claudine
C
Gil
Roberto
R
Laruelle
Marc
M
Abi-Dargham
Anissa
A
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000814:Aniline Compounds / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D049990:Membrane Transport Modulators; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D011180:Postmortem Changes; D011485:Protein Binding; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism*; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D013440:Sulfides / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D014018:Tissue Distribution
C412822:3-amino-4-(2-dimethylaminomethylphenylsulfanyl)benzonitrile; D000814:Aniline Compounds; D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D049990:Membrane Transport Modulators; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C493230:SLC6A4 protein, human; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D013440:Sulfides