Whole-hemisphere autoradiography of 5-HT₁B receptor densities in postmortem alcoholic brains.
The 5-HT(1B) receptor has been associated with alcohol dependence, impulsive or alcohol-related aggressive behavior, and anxiety. The aim of this study was to determine whether or not the 5-HT(1B) receptor density differs in brain samples from anxiety-prone Cloninger type 1 alcoholics and socially hostile, predominantly male, type 2 alcoholics, and controls. Whole-hemispheric 5-HT(1B) receptor density was measured in eight regions of postmortem brains from 17 alcoholics and 10 nonalcoholic controls by autoradiography with tritiated GR-125743 and unlabeled ketanserin to prevent 5-HT(1D) binding. The 5-HT(1B) receptor density was not altered significantly in any of the studied regions. However, some correlations were observed in types 1 and 2 alcoholics only. The 5-HT(1B) receptor density decreased with age in type 1 alcoholics only. There was a significant positive correlation between 5-HT(1B) receptor and serotonin transporter densities in the head of caudate of type 1 alcoholics only. There was a significant positive correlation between 5-HT(1B) receptor density and dopaminergic terminal density, as estimated by vesicular monoamine transporter 2 measurement in the nucleus accumbens of type 2 alcoholics only. There were no significant correlations between 5-HT(1B) receptor and dopamine transporter or dopamine D2/D3 receptor densities in any of the subject groups. In conclusion, these results do not indicate primary changes in 5-HT(1B) receptor densities among these alcoholics, although the data must be considered as preliminary.
Department of Forensic Psychiatry, University of Eastern Finland, Niuvanniemi Hospital, FI-70240 Kuopio, Finland. markus.storvik@uef.fi
Markus
M
Storvik
Merja
M
Häkkinen
Erkki
E
Tupala
Jari
J
Tiihonen
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001345:Autoradiography / Q000379:methods; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007650:Ketanserin / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011180:Postmortem Changes; D011485:Protein Binding / Q000187:drug effects; D011859:Radiography; D011869:Radioligand Assay; D044302:Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT1B / Q000378:metabolism*; D012702:Serotonin Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D055815:Young Adult
D044302:Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT1B; D012702:Serotonin Antagonists; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D007650:Ketanserin