title: Central serotonin transporter availability in highly obese individuals compared with non-obese controls: A [(11)C] DASB positron emission tomography study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The role of the central serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) system in feeding has been extensively studied in animals with the 5-HT family of transporters (5-HTT) being identified as key molecules in the regulation of satiety and body weight. Aberrant 5-HT transmission has been implicated in the pathogenesis of human obesity by in vivo positron emission tomography (PET) and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging techniques. However, results obtained thus far from studies of central 5-HTT availability have been inconsistent, which is thought to be brought about mainly by the low number of individuals with a high body mass index (BMI) previously used. The aim of this study was therefore to assess 5-HTT availability in the brains of highly obese otherwise healthy individuals compared with non-obese healthy controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed PET using the 5-HTT selective radiotracer [(11)C] DASB on 30 highly obese (BMI range between 35 and 55 kg/m(2)) and 15 age- and sex-matched non-obese volunteers (BMI range between 19 and 27 kg/m(2)) in a cross-sectional study design. The 5-HTT binding potential (BPND) was used as the outcome parameter.
  
  
  RESULTS
  On a group level, there was no significant difference in 5-HTT BPND in various cortical and subcortical regions in individuals with the highest BMI compared with non-obese controls, while statistical models showed minor effects of age, sex, and the degree of depression on 5-HTT BPND.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The overall finding of a lack of significantly altered 5-HTT availability together with its high variance in obese individuals justifies the investigation of individual behavioral responses to external and internal cues which may further define distinct phenotypes and subgroups in human obesity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, University of Leipzig, Liebigstraße 18, 04103, Leipzig, Germany. swen.hesse@medizin.uni-leipzig.de.|Integrated Research and Treatment Centre Adiposity Diseases Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany. swen.hesse@medizin.uni-leipzig.de.
authors.forename: Swen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hesse
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, University of Leipzig, Liebigstraße 18, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.|Integrated Research and Treatment Centre Adiposity Diseases Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.|Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rullmann
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, University of Leipzig, Liebigstraße 18, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Luthardt
authors.affiliation: Centre for Translational Regenerative Medicine, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.|Institute for Medical Informatics, Statistics, and Epidemiology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Karsten
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Winter
authors.affiliation: Integrated Research and Treatment Centre Adiposity Diseases Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Mohammed K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Hankir
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, University of Leipzig, Liebigstraße 18, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Georg-Alexander
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.affiliation: Integrated Research and Treatment Centre Adiposity Diseases Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Franziska
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zientek
authors.affiliation: Integrated Research and Treatment Centre Adiposity Diseases Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Reissig
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Rudolf Boehm Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Ralf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Regenthal
authors.affiliation: Integrated Research and Treatment Centre Adiposity Diseases Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Mandy
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Drabe
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schinke
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, University of Leipzig, Liebigstraße 18, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Anke
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bresch
authors.affiliation: Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.|Day Clinic for Cognitive Neurology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Katrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Arelin
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroradiology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Donald
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lobsien
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, University of Leipzig, Liebigstraße 18, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Patt
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, University of Leipzig, Liebigstraße 18, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Philipp M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.affiliation: Integrated Research and Treatment Centre Adiposity Diseases Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.|Medical Department III, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Mathias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fasshauer
authors.affiliation: Integrated Research and Treatment Centre Adiposity Diseases Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.|Medical Department III, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Wiebke K
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Fenske
authors.affiliation: Medical Department III, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.|Collaborative Research Centre 1052 Obesity Mechanisms, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Blüher
authors.affiliation: Integrated Research and Treatment Centre Adiposity Diseases Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.|Medical Department III, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stumvoll
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, University of Leipzig, Liebigstraße 18, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.|Integrated Research and Treatment Centre Adiposity Diseases Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Osama
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Sabri
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000814:Aniline Compounds; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D013440:Sulfides; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: C412822:3-amino-4-(2-dimethylaminomethylphenylsulfanyl)benzonitrile; D000814:Aniline Compounds; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D013440:Sulfides
keywords: Body mass index (BMI); Depression; Obesity; Positron emission tomography (PET); Serotonin; Serotonin transporter