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Wakeford A, Nye JA, Grieb ZA, Voisin DA, Mun J, Huhman KL, Albers E, Michopoulos V. Sex influences the effects of social status on socioemotional behavior and serotonin neurochemistry in rhesus monkeys. Biol Sex Differ 2023; 14:75. [PMID: 37898775 PMCID: PMC10613371 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-023-00562-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/30/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite observed sex differences in the prevalence of stress-related psychiatric conditions, most preclinical and translational studies have only included male subjects. Therefore, it has not been possible to effectively assess how sex interacts with other psychosocial risk factors to impact the etiology and maintenance of stress-related psychopathology. One psychosocial factor that interacts with sex to impact risk for stress-related behavioral and physiological deficits is social dominance. The current study was designed to assess sex differences in the effects of social status on socioemotional behavior and serotonin neurochemistry in socially housed rhesus monkeys. We hypothesized that sex and social status interact to influence socioemotional behaviors as well as serotonin 1A receptor binding potential (5HT1AR-BP) in regions of interest (ROIs) implicated in socioemotional behavior. METHODS Behavioral observations were conducted in gonadally intact adult female (n = 14) and male (n = 13) rhesus monkeys. 5HT1AR-BP was assessed via positron emission tomography using 4-(2'-Methoxyphenyl)-1-[2'-(N-2"-pyridinyl)-p[18F]fluorobenzamido]ethylpiperazine ([18F]MPPF). RESULTS Aggression emitted was greater in dominant compared to subordinate animals, regardless of sex. Submission emitted was significantly greater in subordinate versus dominant animals and greater in females than males. Affiliative behaviors emitted were not impacted by sex, status, or their interaction. Anxiety-like behavior emitted was significantly greater in females than in males regardless of social status. Hypothalamic 5HT1AR-BP was significantly greater in females than in males, regardless of social status. 5HT1AR-BP in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus was significantly impacted by a sex by status interaction whereby 5HT1AR-BP in the dentate gyrus was greater in dominant compared to subordinate females but was not different between dominant and subordinate males. There were no effects of sex, status, or their interaction on 5HT1AR-BP in the DRN and in the regions of the PFC studied. CONCLUSIONS These data have important implications for the treatment of stress-related behavioral health outcomes, as they suggest that sex and social status are important factors to consider in the context of serotonergic drug efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison Wakeford
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Jonathon A Nye
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Zachary A Grieb
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Dené A Voisin
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Jiyoung Mun
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Kim L Huhman
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Elliott Albers
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Vasiliki Michopoulos
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
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Jett S, Schelbaum E, Jang G, Boneu Yepez C, Dyke JP, Pahlajani S, Diaz Brinton R, Mosconi L. Ovarian steroid hormones: A long overlooked but critical contributor to brain aging and Alzheimer's disease. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:948219. [PMID: 35928995 PMCID: PMC9344010 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.948219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Ovarian hormones, particularly 17β-estradiol, are involved in numerous neurophysiological and neurochemical processes, including those subserving cognitive function. Estradiol plays a key role in the neurobiology of aging, in part due to extensive interconnectivity of the neural and endocrine system. This aspect of aging is fundamental for women's brains as all women experience a drop in circulating estradiol levels in midlife, after menopause. Given the importance of estradiol for brain function, it is not surprising that up to 80% of peri-menopausal and post-menopausal women report neurological symptoms including changes in thermoregulation (vasomotor symptoms), mood, sleep, and cognitive performance. Preclinical evidence for neuroprotective effects of 17β-estradiol also indicate associations between menopause, cognitive aging, and Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common cause of dementia affecting nearly twice more women than men. Brain imaging studies demonstrated that middle-aged women exhibit increased indicators of AD endophenotype as compared to men of the same age, with onset in perimenopause. Herein, we take a translational approach to illustrate the contribution of ovarian hormones in maintaining cognition in women, with evidence implicating menopause-related declines in 17β-estradiol in cognitive aging and AD risk. We will review research focused on the role of endogenous and exogenous estrogen exposure as a key underlying mechanism to neuropathological aging in women, with a focus on whether brain structure, function and neurochemistry respond to hormone treatment. While still in development, this research area offers a new sex-based perspective on brain aging and risk of AD, while also highlighting an urgent need for better integration between neurology, psychiatry, and women's health practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven Jett
- Department of Neurology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, United States
| | - Eva Schelbaum
- Department of Neurology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, United States
| | - Grace Jang
- Department of Neurology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, United States
| | - Camila Boneu Yepez
- Department of Neurology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, United States
| | - Jonathan P. Dyke
- Department of Radiology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, United States
| | - Silky Pahlajani
- Department of Neurology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Radiology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, United States
| | - Roberta Diaz Brinton
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
- Department of Neurology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | - Lisa Mosconi
- Department of Neurology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Radiology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, United States
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Ballentine G, Friedman SF, Bzdok D. Trips and neurotransmitters: Discovering principled patterns across 6850 hallucinogenic experiences. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabl6989. [PMID: 35294242 PMCID: PMC8926331 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abl6989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Psychedelics probably alter states of consciousness by disrupting how the higher association cortex governs bottom-up sensory signals. Individual hallucinogenic drugs are usually studied in participants in controlled laboratory settings. Here, we have explored word usage in 6850 free-form testimonials about 27 drugs through the prism of 40 neurotransmitter receptor subtypes, which were then mapped to three-dimensional coordinates in the brain via their gene transcription levels from invasive tissue probes. Despite high interindividual variability, our pattern-learning approach delineated how drug-induced changes of conscious awareness are linked to cortex-wide anatomical distributions of receptor density proxies. Each discovered receptor-experience factor spanned between a higher-level association pole and a sensory input pole, which may relate to the previously reported collapse of hierarchical order among large-scale networks. Coanalyzing many psychoactive molecules and thousands of natural language descriptions of drug experiences, our analytical framework finds the underlying semantic structure and maps it directly to the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Galen Ballentine
- Department of Psychiatry, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY, USA
| | | | - Danilo Bzdok
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, McConnell Brain Imaging Centre (BIC), Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI), Faculty of Medicine, School of Computer Science, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
- Mila—Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute, Montreal, Canada
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Sex and the serotonergic underpinnings of depression and migraine. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2020; 175:117-140. [PMID: 33008520 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-444-64123-6.00009-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Most psychiatric disorders demonstrate sex differences in their prevalence and symptomatology, and in their response to treatment. These differences are particularly pronounced in mood disorders. Differences in sex hormone levels are among the most overt distinctions between males and females and are thus an intuitive underpinning for these clinical observations. In fact, treatment with estrogen and testosterone was shown to exert antidepressant effects, which underscores this link. Changes to monoaminergic signaling in general, and serotonergic transmission in particular, are understood as central components of depressive pathophysiology. Thus, modulation of the serotonin system may serve as a mechanism via which sex hormones exert their clinical effects in mental health disorders. Over the past 20 years, various experimental approaches have been applied to identify modes of influence of sex and sex hormones on the serotonin system. This chapter provides an overview of different molecular components of the serotonin system, followed by a review of studies performed in animals and in humans with the purpose of elucidating sex hormone effects. Particular emphasis will be placed on studies performed with positron emission tomography, a method that allows for human in vivo molecular imaging and, therefore, assessment of effects in a clinically representative context. The studies addressed in this chapter provide a wealth of information on the interaction between sex, sex hormones, and serotonin in the brain. In general, they offer evidence for the concept that the influence of sex hormones on various components of the serotonin system may serve as an underpinning for the clinical effects these hormones demonstrate.
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Smigielski L, Kometer M, Scheidegger M, Stress C, Preller KH, Koenig T, Vollenweider FX. P300-mediated modulations in self-other processing under psychedelic psilocybin are related to connectedness and changed meaning: A window into the self-other overlap. Hum Brain Mapp 2020; 41:4982-4996. [PMID: 32820851 PMCID: PMC7643385 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2020] [Revised: 06/27/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The concept of self and self‐referential processing has a growing explanatory value in psychiatry and neuroscience, referring to the cognitive organization and perceptual differentiation of self‐stimuli in health and disease. Conditions in which selfhood loses its natural coherence offer a unique opportunity for elucidating the mechanisms underlying self‐disturbances. We assessed the psychoactive effects of psilocybin (230 μg/kg p.o.), a preferential 5‐HT1A/2A agonist known to induce shifts in self‐perception. Our placebo‐controlled, double‐blind, within‐subject crossover experiment (n = 17) implemented a verbal self‐monitoring task involving vocalizations and participant identification of real‐time auditory source‐ (self/other) and pitch‐modulating feedback. Subjective experience and task performance were analyzed, with time‐point‐by‐time‐point assumption‐free multivariate randomization statistics applied to the spatiotemporal dynamics of event‐related potentials. Psilocybin‐modulated self‐experience, interacted with source to affect task accuracy, and altered the late phase of self‐stimuli encoding by abolishing the distinctiveness of self‐ and other‐related electric field configurations during the P300 timeframe. This last effect was driven by current source density changes within the supragenual anterior cingulate and right insular cortex. The extent of the P300 effect was associated with the intensity of psilocybin‐induced feelings of unity and changed meaning of percepts. Modulations of late encoding and their underlying neural generators in self‐referential processing networks via 5‐HT signaling may be key for understanding self‐disorders. This mechanism may reflect a neural instantiation of altered self–other and relational meaning processing in a stimulus‐locked time domain. The study elucidates the neuropharmacological foundation of subjectivity, with implications for therapy, underscoring the concept of connectedness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukasz Smigielski
- Neuropsychopharmacology and Brain Imaging, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University Hospital of Psychiatry, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Michael Kometer
- Neuropsychopharmacology and Brain Imaging, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University Hospital of Psychiatry, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Milan Scheidegger
- Neuropsychopharmacology and Brain Imaging, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University Hospital of Psychiatry, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Cornelia Stress
- Neuropsychopharmacology and Brain Imaging, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University Hospital of Psychiatry, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Katrin H Preller
- Neuropsychopharmacology and Brain Imaging, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University Hospital of Psychiatry, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Thomas Koenig
- Translational Research Center, University Hospital of Psychiatry, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Franz X Vollenweider
- Neuropsychopharmacology and Brain Imaging, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University Hospital of Psychiatry, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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Unterholzner J, Gryglewski G, Philippe C, Seiger R, Pichler V, Godbersen GM, Berroterán-Infante N, Murgaš M, Hahn A, Wadsak W, Mitterhauser M, Kasper S, Lanzenberger R. Topologically Guided Prioritization of Candidate Gene Transcripts Coexpressed with the 5-HT1A Receptor by Combining In Vivo PET and Allen Human Brain Atlas Data. Cereb Cortex 2020; 30:3771-3780. [PMID: 31989157 PMCID: PMC7232988 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhz341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2019] [Revised: 11/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The serotonin-1A receptor (5-HT1AR) represents a viable target in the treatment of disorders of the brain. However, development of psychiatric drugs continues to be hindered by the relative inaccessibility of brain tissue. Although the efficacy of drugs selective for the 5-HT1AR has not been proven, research continues to focus on drugs that influence this receptor subtype. To further knowledge on this topic, we investigated the topological coexpression patterns of the 5-HT1AR. We calculated Spearman’s rho for the correlation of positron emission tomography-binding potentials (BPND) of the 5-HT1AR assessed in 30 healthy subjects using the tracer [carbonyl-11C]WAY-100635 and predicted whole-brain mRNA expression of 18 686 genes. After applying a threshold of r > 0.3 in a leave-one-out cross-validation of the prediction of mRNA expression, genes with ρ ≥ 0.7 were considered to be relevant. In cortical regions, 199 genes showed high correlation with the BPND of the 5-HT1AR, in subcortical regions 194 genes. Using our approach, we could consolidate the role of BDNF and implicate new genes (AnxA8, NeuroD2) in serotonergic functioning. Despite its explorative nature, the analysis can be seen as a gene prioritization approach to reduce the number of genes potentially connected to 5-HT1AR functioning and guide future in vitro studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakob Unterholzner
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Gregor Gryglewski
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Cecile Philippe
- Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Rene Seiger
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Verena Pichler
- Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Godber M Godbersen
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Neydher Berroterán-Infante
- Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Matej Murgaš
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Andreas Hahn
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Wolfgang Wadsak
- Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria.,Centre for Biomarker Research in Medicine (CBmed), Stiftingtalstrasse 5, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Markus Mitterhauser
- Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria.,Ludwig Boltzmann Institute Applied Diagnostics, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Siegfried Kasper
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Rupert Lanzenberger
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria
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7
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Pawluski JL, Li M, Lonstein JS. Serotonin and motherhood: From molecules to mood. Front Neuroendocrinol 2019; 53:100742. [PMID: 30878665 PMCID: PMC6541513 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2019.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2018] [Revised: 02/27/2019] [Accepted: 03/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Emerging research points to a valuable role of the monoamine neurotransmitter, serotonin, in the display of maternal behaviors and reproduction-associated plasticity in the maternal brain. Serotonin is also implicated in the pathophysiology of numerous affective disorders and likely plays an important role in the pathophysiology of maternal mental illness. Therefore, the main goals of this review are to detail: (1) how the serotonin system of the female brain changes across pregnancy and postpartum; (2) the role of the central serotonergic system in maternal caregiving and maternal aggression; and (3) how the serotonin system and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor medications (SSRIs) are involved in the treatment of maternal mental illness. Although there is much work to be done, studying the central serotonin system's multifaceted role in the maternal brain is vital to our understanding of the processes governing matrescence and the maintenance of motherhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jodi L Pawluski
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de Recherche en Santé, Environnement et Travail), UMR_S 1085, F-35000 Rennes, France.
| | - Ming Li
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588-0308, USA.
| | - Joseph S Lonstein
- Neuroscience Program & Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
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Kautzky A, James GM, Philippe C, Baldinger-Melich P, Kraus C, Kranz GS, Vanicek T, Gryglewski G, Hartmann AM, Hahn A, Wadsak W, Mitterhauser M, Rujescu D, Kasper S, Lanzenberger R. Epistasis of HTR1A and BDNF risk genes alters cortical 5-HT1A receptor binding: PET results link genotype to molecular phenotype in depression. Transl Psychiatry 2019; 9:5. [PMID: 30664620 PMCID: PMC6341100 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-018-0308-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2018] [Accepted: 07/31/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Alterations of the 5-HT1A receptor and BDNF have consistently been associated with affective disorders. Two functional single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), rs6295 of the serotonin 1A receptor gene (HTR1A) and rs6265 of brain-derived neurotrophic factor gene (BDNF), may impact transcriptional regulation and expression of the 5-HT1A receptor. Here we investigated interaction effects of rs6295 and rs6265 on 5-HT1A receptor binding. Forty-six healthy subjects were scanned with PET using the radioligand [carbonyl-11C]WAY-100635. Genotyping was performed for rs6265 and rs6295. Subjects showing a genotype with at least three risk alleles (G of rs6295 or A of rs6265) were compared to control genotypes. Cortical surface binding potential (BPND) was computed for 32 cortical regions of interest (ROI). Mixed model was applied to study main and interaction effects of ROI and genotype. ANOVA was used for post hoc analyses. Individuals with the risk genotypes exhibited an increase in 5-HT1A receptor binding by an average of 17% (mean BPND 3.56 ± 0.74 vs. 2.96 ± 0.88). Mixed model produced an interaction effect of ROI and genotype on BPND and differences could be demonstrated in 10 ROI post hoc. The combination of disadvantageous allelic expression of rs6295 and rs6265 may result in a 5-HT1A receptor profile comparable to affective disorders as increased 5-HT1A receptor binding is a well published phenotype of depression. Thus, epistasis between BDNF and HTR1A may contribute to the multifactorial risk for affective disorders and our results strongly advocate further research on this genetic signature in affective disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Kautzky
- 0000 0000 9259 8492grid.22937.3dDepartment of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Wien, Austria
| | - Gregory M. James
- 0000 0000 9259 8492grid.22937.3dDepartment of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Wien, Austria
| | - Cecile Philippe
- 0000 0000 9259 8492grid.22937.3dDivision of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Wien, Austria
| | - Pia Baldinger-Melich
- 0000 0000 9259 8492grid.22937.3dDepartment of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Wien, Austria
| | - Christoph Kraus
- 0000 0000 9259 8492grid.22937.3dDepartment of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Wien, Austria
| | - Georg S. Kranz
- 0000 0000 9259 8492grid.22937.3dDepartment of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Wien, Austria
| | - Thomas Vanicek
- 0000 0000 9259 8492grid.22937.3dDepartment of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Wien, Austria
| | - Gregor Gryglewski
- 0000 0000 9259 8492grid.22937.3dDepartment of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Wien, Austria
| | - Annette M. Hartmann
- 0000 0001 0679 2801grid.9018.0University Clinic for Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatic, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
| | - Andreas Hahn
- 0000 0000 9259 8492grid.22937.3dDepartment of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Wien, Austria
| | - Wolfgang Wadsak
- 0000 0000 9259 8492grid.22937.3dDivision of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Wien, Austria ,grid.499898.dCenter for Biomarker Research in Medicine (CBmed), Graz, Austria
| | - Markus Mitterhauser
- 0000 0000 9259 8492grid.22937.3dDivision of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Wien, Austria ,Ludwig Boltzmann Institute Applied Diagnostics, Vienna, Austria
| | - Dan Rujescu
- 0000 0001 0679 2801grid.9018.0University Clinic for Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatic, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
| | - Siegfried Kasper
- 0000 0000 9259 8492grid.22937.3dDepartment of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Wien, Austria
| | - Rupert Lanzenberger
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Wien, Austria.
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Underwood MD, Kassir SA, Bakalian MJ, Galfalvy H, Dwork AJ, Mann JJ, Arango V. Serotonin receptors and suicide, major depression, alcohol use disorder and reported early life adversity. Transl Psychiatry 2018; 8:279. [PMID: 30552318 PMCID: PMC6294796 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-018-0309-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2018] [Accepted: 08/05/2018] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Serotonin neurotransmitter deficits are reported in suicide, major depressive disorder (MDD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD). To compare pathophysiology in these disorders, we mapped brain serotonin transporter (SERT), 5-HT1A, and 5-HT2A receptor binding throughout prefrontal cortex and in anterior cingulate cortex postmortem. Cases and controls died suddenly minimizing agonal effects and had a postmortem interval ≤24 h to avoid compromised brain integrity. Neuropathology and toxicology confirmed absence of neuropathology and psychotropic medications. For most subjects (167 of 232), a DSM-IV Axis I diagnosis was made by psychological autopsy. Autoradiography was performed in right hemisphere coronal sections at a pre-genual level. Linear model analyses included sex and age with group and Brodmann area as interaction terms. SERT binding was lower in suicides (p = 0.004) independent of sex (females < males, p < 0.0001), however, the lower SERT binding was dependent on MDD diagnosis (p = 0.014). Higher SERT binding was associated with diagnosis of alcoholism (p = 0.012). 5-HT1A binding was greater in suicides (p < 0.001), independent of MDD (p = 0.168). Alcoholism was associated with higher 5-HT1A binding (p < 0.001) but only in suicides (p < 0.001). 5-HT2A binding was greater in suicides (p < 0.001) only when including MDD (p = 0.117) and alcoholism (p = 0.148) in the model. Reported childhood adversity was associated with higher SERT and 5-HT1A binding (p = 0.004) in nonsuicides and higher 5-HT2A binding (p < 0.001). Low SERT and more 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A binding in the neocortex in depressed suicides is dependent on Axis I diagnosis and reported childhood adversity. Findings in alcoholism differed from those in depression and suicide indicating a distinct serotonin system pathophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark D Underwood
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA.
- Division of Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology, Columbia University and New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Suham A Kassir
- Division of Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology, Columbia University and New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Mihran J Bakalian
- Division of Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology, Columbia University and New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Hanga Galfalvy
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
- Division of Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology, Columbia University and New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
- Division of Biostatistics, Columbia University and New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Andrew J Dwork
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
- Division of Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology, Columbia University and New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
- Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Skopje, Macedonia
| | - J John Mann
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
- Division of Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology, Columbia University and New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Victoria Arango
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
- Division of Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology, Columbia University and New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
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Griffioen G, Matheson GJ, Cervenka S, Farde L, Borg J. Serotonin 5-HT 1A receptor binding and self-transcendence in healthy control subjects-a replication study using Bayesian hypothesis testing. PeerJ 2018; 6:e5790. [PMID: 30479884 PMCID: PMC6241390 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.5790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2018] [Accepted: 09/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective A putative relationship between markers for the serotonin system and the personality scale self-transcendence (ST) and its subscale spiritual acceptance (SA) has been demonstrated in a previous PET study of 5-HT1A receptor binding in healthy control subjects. The results could however not be replicated in a subsequent PET study at an independent centre. In this study, we performed a replication of our original study in a larger sample using Bayesian hypothesis testing to evaluate relative evidence both for and against this hypothesis. Methods Regional 5-HT1A receptor binding potential (BPND) was examined in 50 healthy male subjects using PET with the radioligand [11C]WAY100635. 5-HT1Aavailability was calculated using the simplified reference tissue model (SRTM) yielding regional BPND. ST and SA were measured using the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) questionnaire. Correlations between ST/SA scores and 5-HT1ABPND in frontal cortex, hippocampus and raphe nuclei were examined by calculation of default correlation Bayes factors (BFs) and replication BFs. Results There were no significant correlations between 5-HT1A receptor binding and ST/SA scores. Rather, five of six replication BFs provided moderate to strong evidence for no association between 5-HT1A availability and ST/SA, while the remaining BF provided only weak evidence. Conclusion We could not replicate our previous findings of an association between 5-HT1A availability and the personality trait ST/SA. Rather, the Bayesian analysis provided evidence for a lack of correlation. Further research should focus on whether other components of the serotonin system may be related to ST or SA. This study also illustrates how Bayesian hypothesis testing allows for greater flexibility and more informative conclusions than traditional p-values, suggesting that this approach may be advantageous for analysis of molecular imaging data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gina Griffioen
- Centre for Psychiatry Research, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm County Council, Stockholm, Sweden.,Capio Psykiatri Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Granville J Matheson
- Centre for Psychiatry Research, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm County Council, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Simon Cervenka
- Centre for Psychiatry Research, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm County Council, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lars Farde
- Centre for Psychiatry Research, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm County Council, Stockholm, Sweden.,Personalised Healthcare and Biomarkers, AstraZeneca PET Science Centre, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden
| | - Jacqueline Borg
- Centre for Psychiatry Research, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm County Council, Stockholm, Sweden
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11
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Barth M, Dunzinger A, Wimmer I, Winkler J, Rittmannsberger H, Nader M, Pichler R. Serotonin 1A receptor density measured by F18-Mefway PET/CT in mesiotemporal cortex and raphe does not discriminate therapeutic response in patients with major depressive episode. THE QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF NUCLEAR MEDICINE AND MOLECULAR IMAGING : OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE ITALIAN ASSOCIATION OF NUCLEAR MEDICINE (AIMN) [AND] THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF RADIOPHARMACOLOGY (IAR), [AND] SECTION OF THE SOCIETY OF... 2018; 64:203-210. [PMID: 29916219 DOI: 10.23736/s1824-4785.18.03039-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND More than 50% of patients with major depressive episode (MDE) fail to respond to initial treatment with first line pharmacological therapy. Altered receptor and serotonin transporter function are considered to be associated with mental disorders. Our investigation aimed on the density of the HT1A receptor in mesiotemporal cortex (MTC) and raphe measured by F18-Mefway in patients with MDD. METHODS Patients with untreated clinically suspected major depressive episode were recruited from June 2012 to May 2014. 49 patients were included into the study: 36 patients (73%) were identified as responders, whereas 13 (27%) were non-responders. Gender distribution was 26 men (56%) and 23 women (44%). For treatment, only a standard medication of a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) with escitalopram in a range of 10-20 mg/day was permitted. Responders were defined by improvement of the MADRS>50%. Visually MTC had the highest uptake of F18-Mefway among all brain regions, an asymmetry could not be observed in any patient. An elliptical region was drawn over the amygdala and hippocampus area and a small circular region was drawn over the raphe nuclei. All data were calculated related to (unspecific) cerebellar uptake. RESULTS The quotient of the right MTC was 5.00 [4.33; 5.50] in all patients, in responders 5.00 [4.00; 5.75] and in non-responders 5.00 [4.50; 5.50] (P=0.56). The quotient of the left MTC presented with a median level of 4.50 [4.50; 5.50] in all persons. The responders had 4.50 [4.50; 5.75] which was not statistically significant to the data of the non-responders with 5.00 [4.50; 5.50] at P=0.64. The raphe had a median quotient of 2.50 [2.00; 3.00] in all and the cohort of responders, whereas non-responders had 2.50 [2.00; 2.50] (P=0.61). Also the absolute values of SUV in the three brain regions were not statistically different between the cohorts. Additionally, we did not find any sex-related differences in our patient group. CONCLUSIONS Serotonin 1A receptor density can be assessed efficiently by F18-Mefway and PET-CT in patients with MDE. The method can be estimated as a possible tool for clinical and academic investigation, marked tracer uptake can constantly be observed at MTC and the raphe. Anyhow, under conditions of real life in patient care, it is not possible to distinguish patients with a good prognosis who will respond to standard SSRI therapy from non-responders who would benefit from a different therapeutic approach starting earlier.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Barth
- Department of Psychiatry, Neuromed Campus, Kepler University Hospital, Linz, Austria
| | - Andreas Dunzinger
- Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Neuromed Campus, Kepler University Hospital, Linz, Austria
| | - Irina Wimmer
- Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Neuromed Campus, Kepler University Hospital, Linz, Austria
| | - Johanna Winkler
- Department of Psychiatry, Neuromed Campus, Kepler University Hospital, Linz, Austria
| | - Hans Rittmannsberger
- Department of Psychiatry, Neuromed Campus, Kepler University Hospital, Linz, Austria.,Department of Psychiatry, Gespag Hospital Steyr, Steyr, Austria
| | - Michael Nader
- Advanced Accelerator Applications Germany, Bonn, Germany
| | - Robert Pichler
- Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Neuromed Campus, Kepler University Hospital, Linz, Austria - .,Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Gespag Hospital Steyr, Steyr, Austria.,Department of Radiology, Clinic of Nuclear Medicine, Medical University Graz, Graz, Austria
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12
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Probing the association between serotonin-1A autoreceptor binding and amygdala reactivity in healthy volunteers. Neuroimage 2018; 171:1-5. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2017.12.092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2017] [Revised: 12/19/2017] [Accepted: 12/28/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
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13
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Kautzky A, James GM, Philippe C, Baldinger-Melich P, Kraus C, Kranz GS, Vanicek T, Gryglewski G, Wadsak W, Mitterhauser M, Rujescu D, Kasper S, Lanzenberger R. The influence of the rs6295 gene polymorphism on serotonin-1A receptor distribution investigated with PET in patients with major depression applying machine learning. Transl Psychiatry 2017; 7:e1150. [PMID: 28608854 PMCID: PMC5537636 DOI: 10.1038/tp.2017.108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2016] [Revised: 04/08/2017] [Accepted: 04/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is the most common neuropsychiatric disease and despite extensive research, its genetic substrate is still not sufficiently understood. The common polymorphism rs6295 of the serotonin-1A receptor gene (HTR1A) is affecting the transcriptional regulation of the 5-HT1A receptor and has been closely linked to MDD. Here, we used positron emission tomography (PET) exploiting advances in data mining and statistics by using machine learning in 62 healthy subjects and 19 patients with MDD, which were scanned with PET using the radioligand [carbonyl-11C]WAY-100635. All the subjects were genotyped for rs6295 and genotype was grouped in GG vs C allele carriers. Mixed model was applied in a ROI-based (region of interest) approach. ROI binding potential (BPND) was divided by dorsal raphe BPND as a specific measure to highlight rs6295 effects (BPDiv). Mixed model produced an interaction effect of ROI and genotype in the patients' group but no effects in healthy controls. Differences of BPDiv was demonstrated in seven ROIs; parahippocampus, hippocampus, fusiform gyrus, gyrus rectus, supplementary motor area, inferior frontal occipital gyrus and lingual gyrus. For classification of genotype, 'RandomForest' and Support Vector Machines were used, however, no model with sufficient predictive capability could be computed. Our results are in line with preclinical data, mouse model knockout studies as well as previous clinical analyses, demonstrating the two-pronged effect of the G allele on 5-HT1A BPND for, we believe, the first time. Future endeavors should address epigenetic effects and allosteric heteroreceptor complexes. Replication in larger samples of MDD patients is necessary to substantiate our findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Kautzky
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - G M James
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - C Philippe
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Division of Nuclear Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - P Baldinger-Melich
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - C Kraus
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - G S Kranz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - T Vanicek
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - G Gryglewski
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - W Wadsak
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Division of Nuclear Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria,Center for Biomarker Research in Medicine (CBmed), Graz, Austria
| | - M Mitterhauser
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Division of Nuclear Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria,Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Applied Diagnostics, Vienna, Austria
| | - D Rujescu
- University Clinic for Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatic, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
| | - S Kasper
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - R Lanzenberger
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria,Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, Vienna A-1090, Austria. E-mail:
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14
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Thanos PK, Malave L, Delis F, Mangine P, Kane K, Grunseich A, Vitale M, Greengard P, Volkow ND. Knockout ofp11attenuates the acquisition and reinstatement of cocaine conditioned place preference in male but not in female mice. Synapse 2016; 70:293-301. [DOI: 10.1002/syn.21904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2015] [Revised: 03/11/2016] [Accepted: 03/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Panayotis K. Thanos
- Behavioral Neuropharmacology and Neuroimaging Laboratory on Addictions; Research Institute on Addictions, University at Buffalo; Buffalo New York
| | - Lauren Malave
- Department of Biology; City College of New York; New York New York
| | - Foteini Delis
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine; University of Ioannina; Ioannina Greece
| | - Paul Mangine
- Behavioral Neuropharmacology and Neuroimaging Laboratory on Addictions; Research Institute on Addictions, University at Buffalo; Buffalo New York
| | - Katie Kane
- Behavioral Neuropharmacology and Neuroimaging Laboratory on Addictions; Research Institute on Addictions, University at Buffalo; Buffalo New York
| | - Adam Grunseich
- Behavioral Neuropharmacology and Neuroimaging Laboratory on Addictions; Research Institute on Addictions, University at Buffalo; Buffalo New York
| | - Melissa Vitale
- Behavioral Neuropharmacology and Neuroimaging Laboratory on Addictions; Research Institute on Addictions, University at Buffalo; Buffalo New York
| | - Paul Greengard
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience; the Rockefeller University; New York New York
| | - Nora D. Volkow
- Laboratory of Neuroimaging; National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health; Bethesda Maryland
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15
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Mukherjee J, Bajwa AK, Wooten DW, Hillmer AT, Pan ML, Pandey SK, Saigal N, Christian BT. Comparative assessment of (18) F-Mefway as a serotonin 5-HT1A receptor PET imaging agent across species: Rodents, nonhuman primates, and humans. J Comp Neurol 2016; 524:1457-71. [PMID: 26509362 PMCID: PMC4783179 DOI: 10.1002/cne.23919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2015] [Revised: 08/22/2015] [Accepted: 10/23/2015] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
We have developed (18) F-trans-Mefway ((18) F-Mefway) for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging studies of serotonin 5-HT1A receptors which are implicated in various brain functions. Translation of imaging the 5-HT1A receptor in animal models to humans will facilitate an understanding of the role of the receptor in human brain disorders. We report comparative brain distribution of (18) F-Mefway in normal mice, rats, monkeys, and healthy human volunteers. Mefway was found to be very selective, with subnanomolar affinity for the 5-HT1A receptor. Affinities of >55 nM were found for all other human-cloned receptor subtypes tested. Mefway was found to be a poor substrate (>30 μM) for the multidrug resistance 1 protein, suggesting low likelihood of brain uptake being affected by P-glycoprotein. Cerebellum was used as a reference region in all imaging studies across all species due to the low levels of (18) F-Mefway binding. Consistent binding of (18) F-Mefway in cortical regions, hippocampus, and raphe was observed across all species. (18) F-Mefway in the human brain regions correlated with the known postmortem distribution of 5-HT1A receptors. Quantitation of raphe was affected by the resolution of the PET scanners in rodents, whereas monkeys and humans showed a raphe to cerebellum ratio of approximately 3. (18) F-Mefway appears to be an effective 5-HT1A receptor imaging agent in all models, including humans. (18) F-Mefway therefore may be used to quantify 5-HT1A receptor distribution in brain regions for the study of various CNS disorders. J. Comp. Neurol. 524:1457-1471, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jogeshwar Mukherjee
- Preclinical Imaging, Department of Radiological Sciences, University of California, Irvine, California, 92697-5000
| | - Alisha K Bajwa
- Preclinical Imaging, Department of Radiological Sciences, University of California, Irvine, California, 92697-5000
| | - Dustin W Wooten
- Department of Medical Physics and Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, 53705
| | - Ansel T Hillmer
- Department of Medical Physics and Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, 53705
| | - Min-Liang Pan
- Preclinical Imaging, Department of Radiological Sciences, University of California, Irvine, California, 92697-5000
| | - Suresh K Pandey
- Preclinical Imaging, Department of Radiological Sciences, University of California, Irvine, California, 92697-5000
| | - Neil Saigal
- Preclinical Imaging, Department of Radiological Sciences, University of California, Irvine, California, 92697-5000
| | - Bradley T Christian
- Department of Medical Physics and Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, 53705
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16
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Selvaraj S, Mouchlianitis E, Faulkner P, Turkheimer F, Cowen PJ, Roiser JP, Howes O. Presynaptic Serotoninergic Regulation of Emotional Processing: A Multimodal Brain Imaging Study. Biol Psychiatry 2015; 78:563-571. [PMID: 24882568 PMCID: PMC5322825 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2014.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2013] [Revised: 04/01/2014] [Accepted: 04/01/2014] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The amygdala is a central node in the brain network that processes aversive emotions and is extensively innervated by dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine [5-HT]) neurons. Alterations in DRN 5-HT1A receptor availability cause phenotypes characterized by fearful behavior in preclinical models. However, it is unknown whether 5-HT1A receptor availability is linked specifically to the processing of aversive emotions in humans or whether it modulates connectivity in brain networks involved in emotion processing. To answer this question, we investigated the relationship between DRN 5-HT1A receptor availability and amygdala reactivity to aversive emotion and functional connectivity within the amygdala-cortical network. METHODS We studied 15 healthy human participants who underwent positron emission tomography scanning with [(11)C]CUMI-101, a 5-HT1A partial agonist radioligand, and functional magnetic resonance imaging of brain responses during an incidental emotion processing task including happy, fearful, and neutral faces. Regional estimates of 5-HT1A receptor binding potential (nondisplaceable) were obtained by calculating total volumes of distribution for presynaptic DRN and amygdala. Connectivity between the amygdala and corticolimbic areas was assessed using psychophysiologic interaction analysis with the amygdala as the seed region. RESULTS Analysis of the fear versus neutral contrast revealed a significant negative correlation between amygdala response and DRN binding potential (nondisplaceable) (r = -.87, p < .001). Availability of DRN 5-HT1A receptors positively correlated with amygdala connectivity with middle frontal gyrus, anterior cingulate cortex, bilateral precuneus, and left supramarginal gyrus for fearful (relative to neutral) faces. CONCLUSIONS Our data show that DRN 5-HT1A receptor availability is linked specifically to the processing of aversive emotions in the amygdala and the modulation of amygdala-cortical connectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sudhakar Selvaraj
- Medical Research Council Clinical Sciences Centre, Hammersmith Hospital, London, W12 0NN, UK,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Elias Mouchlianitis
- Medical Research Council Clinical Sciences Centre, Hammersmith Hospital, London, W12 0NN, UK
| | - Paul Faulkner
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, WC1N 3AR, UK
| | | | | | - Jonathan P Roiser
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, WC1N 3AR, UK
| | - Oliver Howes
- Medical Research Council Clinical Sciences Centre, Hammersmith Hospital, London, W12 0NN, UK,Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London, SE5 8AF, UK
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17
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Kranz GS, Wadsak W, Kaufmann U, Savli M, Baldinger P, Gryglewski G, Haeusler D, Spies M, Mitterhauser M, Kasper S, Lanzenberger R. High-Dose Testosterone Treatment Increases Serotonin Transporter Binding in Transgender People. Biol Psychiatry 2015; 78:525-33. [PMID: 25497691 PMCID: PMC4585531 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2014.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2014] [Revised: 09/08/2014] [Accepted: 09/08/2014] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Women are two times more likely to be diagnosed with depression than men. Sex hormones modulating serotonergic transmission are proposed to partly underlie these epidemiologic findings. Here, we used the cross-sex steroid hormone treatment of transsexuals seeking sex reassignment as a model to investigate acute and chronic effects of testosterone and estradiol on serotonin reuptake transporter (SERT) binding in female-to-male and male-to-female transsexuals. METHODS Thirty-three transsexuals underwent [(11)C]DASB positron emission tomography before start of treatment, a subset of which underwent a second scan 4 weeks and a third scan 4 months after treatment start. SERT nondisplaceable binding potential was quantified in 12 regions of interest. Treatment effects were analyzed using linear mixed models. Changes of hormone plasma levels were correlated with changes in regional SERT nondisplaceable binding potential. RESULTS One and 4 months of androgen treatment in female-to-male transsexuals increased SERT binding in amygdala, caudate, putamen, and median raphe nucleus. SERT binding increases correlated with treatment-induced increases in testosterone levels, suggesting that testosterone increases SERT expression on the cell surface. Conversely, 4 months of antiandrogen and estrogen treatment in male-to-female transsexuals led to decreases in SERT binding in insula, anterior, and mid-cingulate cortex. Increases in estradiol levels correlated negatively with decreases in regional SERT binding, indicating a protective effect of estradiol against SERT loss. CONCLUSIONS Given the central role of the SERT in the treatment of depression and anxiety disorders, these findings may lead to new treatment modalities and expand our understanding of the mechanism of action of antidepressant treatment properties.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Wolfgang Wadsak
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Division of Nuclear Medicine
| | - Ulrike Kaufmann
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | | | | | | | - Daniela Haeusler
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Division of Nuclear Medicine
| | | | - Markus Mitterhauser
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Division of Nuclear Medicine
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18
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Jovanovic H, Kocoska-Maras L, Rådestad AF, Halldin C, Borg J, Hirschberg AL, Nordström AL. Effects of estrogen and testosterone treatment on serotonin transporter binding in the brain of surgically postmenopausal women--a PET study. Neuroimage 2014; 106:47-54. [PMID: 25462800 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2014.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2014] [Revised: 10/06/2014] [Accepted: 11/02/2014] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Sex hormones and the serotonergic system interact in the regulation of mood, learning, memory and sexual behaviour. However, the mechanisms have not been fully explored. The serotonin transporter protein (5-HTT) regulates synaptic concentrations of serotonin and is a primary target for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. The aim of this study was to explore how estrogen treatment alone or in combination with testosterone affects 5-HTT binding potentials measured by positron emission tomography (PET) in specific brain regions of postmenopausal women. Ten healthy surgically postmenopausal women (years since oophorectomy 7.5 ± 4.0, mean ± SD) underwent PET examinations at baseline, after three months of estrogen treatment (transdermal estradiol 100 μg/24 hours) and after another three months of combined estrogen and testosterone (testosterone undecanoate 40 mg daily) treatment using the radioligand [(11)C] MADAM developed for examination of the serotonin transporter. The 5-HTT binding potentials decreased significantly in several cortical regions, as well as in limbic and striatal regions after both estrogen treatment alone and combined estrogen/testosterone treatment in comparison to baseline. The observed decrease in 5-HTT could either be due to direct effects on serotonin transporter expression or be the result of indirect adaptation to estrogen and /or testosterone effects on synaptic serotonin levels. Although the mechanism still needs further exploration, the study supports the view that gonadal hormones play a role in serotonin regulated mood disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hristina Jovanovic
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Psychiatry Section, Karolinska Institutet and University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Ljiljana Kocoska-Maras
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Karolinska Institutet and University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Angelique Flöter Rådestad
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Karolinska Institutet and University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Christer Halldin
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Psychiatry Section, Karolinska Institutet and University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jacqueline Borg
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Psychiatry Section, Karolinska Institutet and University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Angelica Lindén Hirschberg
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Karolinska Institutet and University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anna-Lena Nordström
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Psychiatry Section, Karolinska Institutet and University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
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19
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Stein P, Baldinger P, Kaufmann U, Christina RM, Hahn A, Höflich A, Kranz GS, Savli M, Wadsak W, Mitterhauser M, Winkler D, Kasper S, Lanzenberger R. Relation of progesterone and DHEAS serum levels to 5-HT1A receptor binding potential in pre- and postmenopausal women. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2014; 46:52-63. [PMID: 24882158 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2014.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2014] [Revised: 04/01/2014] [Accepted: 04/14/2014] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Preclinical research and clinical experience point to a modulation of 5-HT1A receptor expression by gonadal steroid hormones. We examined the effect of estradiol, progesterone and DHEAS on serotonin neurotransmission in 16 premenopausal and 28 postmenopausal women, differentiating by reproductive status. By means of positron emission tomography and the radiotracer [carbonyl-(11)C]WAY-100635, the 5-HT1A receptor binding potential (BP) was quantified in 45 brain regions of interest. Median BP was used as a surrogate marker to estimate the whole brain effect of the steroid hormones on receptor binding. We found a strong negative effect of serum progesterone and DHEAS levels on 5-HT1A receptor binding in postmenopausal women both in the Median BP and on a regional level. Furthermore, there was a non-linear, U-shaped relationship between DHEAS levels and 5-HT1A receptor binding in the pooled sample. Presynaptic 5-HT1A receptor BP in the raphe nuclei was significantly explained in a non-linear way by both progesterone and DHEAS in the pooled sample. Our study confirms in humans a preclinically suggested relation of the steroid hormones progesterone and DHEAS to 5-HT1A receptor binding. We show differential effects of the hormones with regard to reproductive hormonal status. Non-linear, U-shaped relationships between hormone serum concentrations and serotonin neurotransmission might explain paradoxical effects of these hormones on mood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrycja Stein
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria(1)
| | - Pia Baldinger
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria(1)
| | - Ulrike Kaufmann
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Rami-Mark Christina
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Division of Nuclear Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Andreas Hahn
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria(1)
| | - Anna Höflich
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria(1)
| | - Georg S Kranz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria(1)
| | - Markus Savli
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria(1)
| | - Wolfgang Wadsak
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Division of Nuclear Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Markus Mitterhauser
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Division of Nuclear Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Dietmar Winkler
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria(1)
| | - Siegfried Kasper
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria(1)
| | - Rupert Lanzenberger
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria(1).
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Kranz GS, Rami-Mark C, Kaufmann U, Baldinger P, Hahn A, Höflich A, Savli M, Stein P, Wadsak W, Mitterhauser M, Winkler D, Lanzenberger R, Kasper S. Effects of hormone replacement therapy on cerebral serotonin-1A receptor binding in postmenopausal women examined with [carbonyl-¹¹C]WAY-100635. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2014; 45:1-10. [PMID: 24845171 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2014.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2014] [Revised: 02/18/2014] [Accepted: 03/11/2014] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Preclinical research points to a strong modulatory influence of gonadal hormones on the serotonin system. However, human data corroborating this association remains scarce. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of hormone replacement therapy on 5-HT₁A receptor binding in postmenopausal women using positron emission tomography (PET) and the radioligand [carbonyl-(11)C]WAY-100635. In this randomized, double-blind, longitudinal study, 30 postmenopausal women underwent treatment with either a combination of oral 17β-estradiol valerate and micronized progesterone (group 1, n=10), oral 17β-estradiol valerate (group 2, n=10), or placebo (group 3, n=10). Two PET measurements were performed, one the day before treatment start and the second after at least eight weeks of treatment. Plasma levels of estradiol (E₂), progesterone (P₄), sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) were collected prior to PET measurements. As expected, hormone replacement therapy led to a significant increase in E₂ and P4 plasma levels in group 1 and to a significant increase in E₂ levels in group 2. The 5-HT₁A receptor binding did not change significantly after estrogen, combined estrogen/progesterone treatment or placebo in any of the investigated brain regions. There were no significant correlations between changes in E₂ or P4 values and changes in 5-HT₁A receptor binding. Although we were not able to confirm effects of gonadal hormone treatment on 5-HT₁A receptor binding, our data do not preclude associations between sex steroid levels and serotonin, the neurotransmitter implicated most strongly in the pathogenesis of affective and anxiety disorders. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00755963.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georg S Kranz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria(1)
| | - Christina Rami-Mark
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Division of Nuclear Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Ulrike Kaufmann
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Pia Baldinger
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria(1)
| | - Andreas Hahn
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria(1)
| | - Anna Höflich
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria(1)
| | - Markus Savli
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria(1)
| | - Patrycja Stein
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria(1)
| | - Wolfgang Wadsak
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Division of Nuclear Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Markus Mitterhauser
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Division of Nuclear Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Dietmar Winkler
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria(1)
| | - Rupert Lanzenberger
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria(1).
| | - Siegfried Kasper
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria(1)
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Baldinger P, Kranz GS, Haeusler D, Savli M, Spies M, Philippe C, Hahn A, Höflich A, Wadsak W, Mitterhauser M, Lanzenberger R, Kasper S. Regional differences in SERT occupancy after acute and prolonged SSRI intake investigated by brain PET. Neuroimage 2013; 88:252-62. [PMID: 24121201 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2013.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2013] [Revised: 07/17/2013] [Accepted: 10/01/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Blocking of the serotonin transporter (SERT) represents the initial mechanism of action of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) which can be visualized due to the technical proceedings of SERT occupancy studies. When compared to the striatum, higher SERT occupancy in the midbrain and lower values in the thalamus were reported. This indicates that occupancy might be differently distributed throughout the brain, which is supported by preclinical findings indicating a regionally varying SERT activity and antidepressant drug concentration. The present study therefore aimed to investigate regional SERT occupancies with positron emission tomography and the radioligand [(11)C]DASB in 19 depressed patients after acute and prolonged intake of oral doses of either 10mg/day escitalopram or 20mg/day citalopram. Compared to the mean occupancy across cortical and subcortical regions, we detected increased SERT occupancies in regions commonly associated with antidepressant response, such as the subgenual cingulate, amygdala and raphe nuclei. When acute and prolonged drug intake was compared, SERT occupancies increased in subcortical areas that are known to be rich in SERT. Moreover, SERT occupancy in subcortical brain areas after prolonged intake of antidepressants was predicted by plasma drug levels. Similarly, baseline SERT binding potential seems to impact SERT occupancy, as regions rich in SERT showed greater binding reduction as well as higher residual binding. These findings suggest a region-specific distribution of SERT blockage by SSRIs and relate the postulated link between treatment response and SERT occupancy to certain brain regions such as the subgenual cingulate cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pia Baldinger
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Georg S Kranz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Daniela Haeusler
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Division of Nuclear Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Markus Savli
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Marie Spies
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Cecile Philippe
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Division of Nuclear Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Andreas Hahn
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Anna Höflich
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Wolfgang Wadsak
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Division of Nuclear Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Markus Mitterhauser
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Division of Nuclear Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Rupert Lanzenberger
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria.
| | - Siegfried Kasper
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
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22
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Baldinger P, Hahn A, Mitterhauser M, Kranz GS, Friedl M, Wadsak W, Kraus C, Ungersböck J, Hartmann A, Giegling I, Rujescu D, Kasper S, Lanzenberger R. Impact of COMT genotype on serotonin-1A receptor binding investigated with PET. Brain Struct Funct 2013; 219:2017-28. [PMID: 23928748 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-013-0621-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2013] [Accepted: 07/27/2013] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Alterations of the inhibitory serotonin-1A receptor (5-HT1A) constitute a solid finding in neuropsychiatric research, particularly in the field of mood and anxiety disorders. Manifold factors influencing the density of this receptor have been identified, e.g., steroid hormones, sunlight exposure and genetic variants of serotonin-related genes. Given the close interactions between serotonergic and dopaminergic neurotransmission, we investigated whether a common single-nucleotide-polymorphism of the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene (VAL158MET or rs4680) coding for a key enzyme of the dopamine network that is associated with the pathogenesis of mood disorders and antidepressant treatment response, directly affects 5-HT1A receptor binding potential. Fifty-two healthy individuals (38 female, mean age ± standard deviation = 40.48 ± 14.87) were measured via positron emission tomography using the radioligand [carbonyl-(11)C]WAY-100635. Genotyping for rs4680 was performed using DNA isolated from whole blood with the MassARRAY platform of the software SEQUENOM(®). Whole brain voxel-wise ANOVA resulted in a main effect of genotype on 5-HT1A binding. Compared to A carriers (AA + AG) of rs4680, homozygote G subjects showed higher 5-HT1A binding potential in the posterior cingulate cortex (F (2,49) = 17.7, p = 0.05, FWE corrected), the orbitofrontal cortex, the anterior cingulate cortex, the insula, the amygdala and the hippocampus (voxel-level: p < 0.01 uncorrected, t > 2.4; cluster-level: p < 0.05 FWE corrected). In light of the frequently reported alterations of 5-HT1A binding in anxiety and mood disorders, this study proposes a potential implication of the COMT genotype, more specifically the VAL158MET polymorphism, via modulation of the serotonergic neurotransmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pia Baldinger
- Functional, Molecular and Translational Neuroimaging Lab, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria
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23
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Sacher J, Neumann J, Okon-Singer H, Gotowiec S, Villringer A. Sexual dimorphism in the human brain: evidence from neuroimaging. Magn Reson Imaging 2013; 31:366-75. [PMID: 22921939 DOI: 10.1016/j.mri.2012.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2011] [Accepted: 06/13/2012] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Julia Sacher
- Max-Planck-Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Stephanstrasse 1A, Leipzig, Germany.
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24
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Application of image-derived and venous input functions in major depression using [carbonyl-11C]WAY-100635. Nucl Med Biol 2013; 40:371-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nucmedbio.2012.12.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2012] [Revised: 11/30/2012] [Accepted: 12/31/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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25
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Kumar JSD, Parsey RV, Kassir SA, Majo VJ, Milak MS, Prabhakaran J, Simpson NR, Underwood MD, Mann JJ, Arango V. Autoradiographic evaluation of [3H]CUMI-101, a novel, selective 5-HT1AR ligand in human and baboon brain. Brain Res 2013; 1507:11-8. [PMID: 23454434 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2013.02.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2012] [Revised: 02/14/2013] [Accepted: 02/20/2013] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
[11C]CUMI-101 is the first selective serotonin receptor (5-HT1AR) partial agonist radiotracer for positron emission tomography (PET) tested in vivo in nonhuman primates and humans. We evaluated specific binding of [3H]CUMI-101 by quantitative autoradiography studies in postmortem baboon and human brain sections using the 5-HT1AR antagonist WAY-100635 as a displacer. The regional and laminar distributions of [3H]CUMI-101 binding in baboon and human brain sections matched the known distribution of [3H]8-OH-DPAT and [3H]WAY-100635. Prazosin did not measurably displace [3H]CUMI-101 binding in baboon or human brain sections, thereby ruling out [3H]CUMI-101 binding to α1-adrenergic receptors. This study demonstrates that [11C]CUMI-101 is a selective 5-HT1AR ligand for in vivo and in vitro studies in baboon and human brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- J S Dileep Kumar
- Division of Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, USA.
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26
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Mitic M, Simic I, Djordjevic J, Radojcic MB, Adzic M. Gender-specific effects of fluoxetine on hippocampal glucocorticoid receptor phosphorylation and behavior in chronically stressed rats. Neuropharmacology 2013; 70:100-11. [PMID: 23353902 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2012.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2012] [Revised: 12/10/2012] [Accepted: 12/22/2012] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Chronic psychosocial isolation stress (CPSI) modulates glucocorticoid receptor (GR) functioning in Wistar male rat hippocampus (HIPPO) through alteration of nuclear GR phosphorylation and its upstream kinases signaling, which parallels animal depressive-like behavior. The current study investigated potential gender specificities regarding the effect of chronic therapy by an antidepressant fluoxetine (FLU) on GR signaling in HIPPO and depressive-like behavior in CPSI animals. FLU was administrated to female and male naïve or CPSI rats for 21 days and GR protein, its phosphorylation status and upstream kinases, as well as GR and BDNF mRNA were followed in HIPPO together with animal serum corticosterone (CORT) and depressive-like behavior. The results showed that CPSI increased immobility in males versus hyperactivity in females and disrupted nuclear pGR232-Cdk5 pathway and JNK signaling in a gender-specific way. In contrast, in both genders CPSI increased the nuclear levels of GR and pGR246 but decreased CORT and mRNA levels of GR and BDNF. Concomitant FLU normalized the depressive-like behavior and altered the nuclear pGR232-Cdk5 signaling in a gender-specific manner. In both females and males, FLU reversed the nuclear levels of GR and pGR246 without affecting CORT and GR mRNA levels. In contrast, FLU exhibited gender-specific effect on BDNF mRNA in CPSI animals, by increasing it in females, but not in males. In spite of normalization the total nuclear GR level upon FLU treatment in both gender, down-regulation of GR mRNA is possibly maintained through prevalence of pGR232 isoform only in males. The gender-specific alterations of pGR232-Cdk5 signaling and BDNF gene expression in HIPPO and normalization of depressive-like behavior upon FLU treatment distinguishes this signaling pathway as potential future antidepressant target for gender-specific therapy of stress related mood disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milos Mitic
- Laboratory for Molecular Biology and Endocrinology, VINCA Institute of Nuclear Sciences, University of Belgrade, PO Box-522-MBE090, 11001 Belgrade, Serbia
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27
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Lanzenberger R, Baldinger P, Hahn A, Ungersboeck J, Mitterhauser M, Winkler D, Micskei Z, Stein P, Karanikas G, Wadsak W, Kasper S, Frey R. Global decrease of serotonin-1A receptor binding after electroconvulsive therapy in major depression measured by PET. Mol Psychiatry 2013; 18:93-100. [PMID: 22751491 PMCID: PMC3526726 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2012.93] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2012] [Revised: 06/01/2012] [Accepted: 06/04/2012] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a potent therapy in severe treatment-refractory depression. Although commonly applied in psychiatric clinical routine since decades, the exact neurobiological mechanism regarding its efficacy remains unclear. Results from preclinical and clinical studies emphasize a crucial involvement of the serotonin-1A receptor (5-HT(1A)) in the mode of action of antidepressant treatment. This includes associations between treatment response and changes in 5-HT(1A) function and density by antidepressants. Further, alterations of the 5-HT(1A) receptor are consistently reported in depression. To elucidate the effect of ECT on 5-HT(1A) receptor binding, 12 subjects with severe treatment-resistant major depression underwent three positron emission tomography (PET) measurements using the highly selective radioligand [carbonyl-(11)C]WAY100635, twice before (test-retest variability) and once after 10.08±2.35 ECT sessions. Ten patients (~83%) were responders to ECT. The voxel-wise comparison of the 5-HT(1A) receptor binding (BP(ND)) before and after ECT revealed a widespread reduction in cortical and subcortical regions (P<0.05 corrected), except for the occipital cortex and the cerebellum. Strongest reductions were found in regions consistently reported to be altered in major depression and involved in emotion regulation, such as the subgenual part of the anterior cingulate cortex (-27.5%), the orbitofrontal cortex (-30.1%), the amygdala (-31.8%), the hippocampus (-30.6%) and the insula (-28.9%). No significant change was found in the raphe nuclei. There was no significant difference in receptor binding in any region comparing the first two PET scans conducted before ECT. This PET study proposes a global involvement of the postsynaptic 5-HT(1A) receptor binding in the effect of ECT.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Lanzenberger
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
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28
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Kranz GS, Hahn A, Baldinger P, Haeusler D, Philippe C, Kaufmann U, Wadsak W, Savli M, Hoeflich A, Kraus C, Vanicek T, Mitterhauser M, Kasper S, Lanzenberger R. Cerebral serotonin transporter asymmetry in females, males and male-to-female transsexuals measured by PET in vivo. Brain Struct Funct 2012; 219:171-83. [PMID: 23224294 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-012-0492-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2012] [Accepted: 11/21/2012] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The serotonergic system modulates brain functions that are considered to underlie affective states, emotion and cognition. Several lines of evidence point towards a strong lateralization of these mental processes, which indicates similar asymmetries in associated neurotransmitter systems. Here, our aim was to investigate a potential asymmetry of the serotonin transporter distribution using positron emission tomography and the radioligand [(11)C]DASB in vivo. As brain asymmetries may differ between sexes, we further aimed to compare serotonin transporter asymmetry between females, males and male-to-female (MtF) transsexuals whose brains are considered to be partly feminized. Voxel-wise analysis of serotonin transporter binding in all groups showed both strong left and rightward asymmetries in several cortical and subcortical structures including temporal and frontal cortices, anterior cingulate, hippocampus, caudate and thalamus. Further, male controls showed a rightward asymmetry in the midcingulate cortex, which was absent in females and MtF transsexuals. The present data support the notion of a lateralized serotonergic system, which is in line with previous findings of asymmetric serotonin-1A receptor distributions, extracellular serotonin concentrations, serotonin turnover and uptake. The absence of serotonin transporter asymmetry in the midcingulate in MtF transsexuals may be attributed to an absence of brain masculinization in this region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georg S Kranz
- Functional, Molecular and Translational Neuroimaging Lab, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria
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29
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Savli M, Bauer A, Mitterhauser M, Ding YS, Hahn A, Kroll T, Neumeister A, Haeusler D, Ungersboeck J, Henry S, Isfahani SA, Rattay F, Wadsak W, Kasper S, Lanzenberger R. Normative database of the serotonergic system in healthy subjects using multi-tracer PET. Neuroimage 2012; 63:447-59. [PMID: 22789740 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2012.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2012] [Revised: 06/28/2012] [Accepted: 07/02/2012] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The highly diverse serotonergic system with at least 16 different receptor subtypes is implicated in the pathophysiology of most neuropsychiatric disorders including affective and anxiety disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, eating disorders, sleep disturbance, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, drug addiction, suicidal behavior, schizophrenia, Alzheimer, etc. Alterations of the interplay between various pre- and postsynaptic receptor subtypes might be involved in the pathogenesis of these disorders. However, there is a lack of comprehensive in vivo values using standardized procedures. In the current PET study we quantified 3 receptor subtypes, including the major inhibitory (5-HT(1A) and 5-HT(1B)) and excitatory (5-HT(2A)) receptors, and the transporter (5-HTT) in the brain of healthy human subjects to provide a database of standard values. PET scans were performed on 95 healthy subjects (age=28.0 ± 6.9 years; 59% males) using the selective radioligands [carbonyl-(11)C]WAY-100635, [(11)C]P943, [(18)F]altanserin and [(11)C]DASB, respectively. A standard template in MNI stereotactic space served for region of interest delineation. This template follows two anatomical parcellation schemes: 1) Brodmann areas including 41 regions and 2) AAL (automated anatomical labeling) including 52 regions. Standard values (mean, SD, and range) for each receptor and region are presented. Mean cortical and subcortical binding potential (BP) values were in good agreement with previously published human in vivo and post-mortem data. By means of linear equations, PET binding potentials were translated to post-mortem binding (provided in pmol/g), yielding 5.89 pmol/g (5-HT(1A)), 23.5 pmol/g (5-HT(1B)), 31.44 pmol/g (5-HT(2A)), and 11.33 pmol/g (5-HTT) being equivalent to the BP of 1, respectively. Furthermore, we computed individual voxel-wise maps with BP values and generated average tracer-specific whole-brain binding maps. This knowledge might improve our interpretation of the alterations taking place in the serotonergic system during neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Savli
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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30
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Spindelegger C, Stein P, Wadsak W, Fink M, Mitterhauser M, Moser U, Savli M, Mien LK, Akimova E, Hahn A, Willeit M, Kletter K, Kasper S, Lanzenberger R. Light-dependent alteration of serotonin-1A receptor binding in cortical and subcortical limbic regions in the human brain. World J Biol Psychiatry 2012; 13:413-22. [PMID: 22111663 DOI: 10.3109/15622975.2011.630405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Climate, in particular sunshine, influences mood and energy levels, creating a positive upswing of mood on bright, sunny days and negative downswing in cold, dark winter seasons. Higher serotonin transporter availability in healthy human subjects in times of lesser light exposure and lower serotonin levels have been shown in winter. METHODS We examined the light-dependent variations in serotonin-1A receptor binding in limbic regions in 36 drug-naive healthy human subjects. Receptor binding was quantified using positron emission tomography and the radioligand [carbonyl-¹¹C]WAY-100635. Binding potential values were related to the amount of individual exposure to sunlight (daily duration of sunshine) and global radiation (total light intensity). RESULTS We found a 20-30% lower serotonin-1A receptor binding in the group exposed to a lower amount of global light radiation. Partial correlation analysis revealed significant positive correlations between the regional postsynaptic serotonin-1A receptor binding and global radiation accumulated over a period of 5 days. CONCLUSIONS Seasonal factors, such as daily amount of sunshine and global radiation, influence serotonin-1A receptor binding in limbic brain regions of healthy human subjects. Combined with recently demonstrated seasonal fluctuations in the serotonin transporter availability, our results underline the importance of seasonal factors in the regulation of the serotonergic transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoph Spindelegger
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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31
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Munro CA, Workman CI, Kramer E, Hermann C, Ma Y, Dhawan V, Chaly T, Eidelberg D, Smith GS. Serotonin modulation of cerebral glucose metabolism: sex and age effects. Synapse 2012; 66:955-64. [PMID: 22836227 DOI: 10.1002/syn.21590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2012] [Revised: 07/12/2012] [Accepted: 07/18/2012] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
The serotonin system is implicated in a variety of psychiatric disorders whose clinical presentation and response to treatment differ between males and females, as well as with aging. However, human neurobiological studies are limited. Sex differences in the cerebral metabolic response to an increase in serotonin concentrations were measured, as well as the effect of aging, in men compared to women. Thirty-three normal healthy individuals (14 men/19 women, age range 20-79 years) underwent two resting positron emission tomography studies with the radiotracer [18F]-2-deoxy-2-fluoro-D-glucose ([(18)F]-FDG) after placebo and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI, citalopram) infusions on two separate days. Results indicated that women demonstrated widespread areas of increased cortical glucose metabolism with fewer areas of decrease in metabolism in response to citalopram. Men, in contrast, demonstrated several regions of decreased cortical metabolism, but no regions of increased metabolism. Age was associated with greater increases in women and greater decreases in men in most brain regions. These results support prior studies indicating that serotonin function differs in men and women across the lifespan. Future studies aimed at characterizing the influences of age and sex on the serotonin system in patients with psychiatric disorders are needed to elucidate the relationship between sex and age differences in brain chemistry and associated differences in symptom presentation and treatment response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia A Munro
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, USA
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32
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Jabeen Haleem D. Raphe-Hippocampal Serotonin Neurotransmission In The Sex Related Differences of Adaptation to Stress: Focus on Serotonin-1A Receptor. Curr Neuropharmacol 2012; 9:512-21. [PMID: 22379463 PMCID: PMC3151603 DOI: 10.2174/157015911796558019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2010] [Revised: 05/07/2010] [Accepted: 10/29/2010] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Stress is the major predisposing and precipitating factor in the onset of depression which is the most significant mental health risk for women. Behavioral studies in animal models show that female sex though less affected by an acute stressor; exposure to repeated stressors induces coping deficits to impair adaptation in them. A decrease in the function of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT; serotonin) in the hippocampus and an increased function of the 5-HT-1A receptor in the raphe nucleus coexist in depression. Pharmacological and neurochemical data are relevant that facilitation of serotonin neurotransmission via hippocampus due to desensitization of somatodendritic 5-HT1A receptors may lead to adaptation to stress. The present article reviews research on sex related differences of raphe-hippocampal serotonin neurotransmission to find a possible answer that may account for the sex differences of adaptation to stress reported in preclinical research and greater incidence of depression in women than men.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darakhshan Jabeen Haleem
- Department of Biochemistry, Neurochemistry and Biochemical Neuropharmacology Research Unit, University of Karachi, Karachi 75270, Pakistan
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33
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Kraus C, Hahn A, Savli M, Kranz GS, Baldinger P, Höflich A, Spindelegger C, Ungersboeck J, Haeusler D, Mitterhauser M, Windischberger C, Wadsak W, Kasper S, Lanzenberger R. Serotonin-1A receptor binding is positively associated with gray matter volume -- a multimodal neuroimaging study combining PET and structural MRI. Neuroimage 2012; 63:1091-8. [PMID: 22836176 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2012.07.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2012] [Revised: 06/27/2012] [Accepted: 07/10/2012] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Animal models revealed that the serotonin-1A (5-HT(1A)) receptor modulates gray matter structure. However, there is a lack of evidence showing the relationship between 5-HT(1A) receptor concentration and gray matter in the human brain in vivo. Here, to demonstrate an association between the 5-HT(1A) receptor binding potential, an index for receptor concentration, and the local gray matter volume (GMV), an index for gray matter structure, we measured 35 healthy subjects with both positron emission tomography (PET) and structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We found that regional heteroreceptor binding was positively associated with GMV in distinctive brain regions such as the hippocampi and the temporal cortices in both hemispheres (R(2) values ranged from 0.308 to 0.503, p<0.05 cluster-level FDR-corrected). Furthermore, autoreceptor binding in the midbrain raphe region was positively associated with GMV in forebrain projection sites (R(2)=0.656, p=0.001). We also observed a broad range between 5-HT(1A) receptor binding and GMV. Given the congruence of altered 5-HT(1A) receptor concentrations and GMV reduction in depression or Alzheimer's disease as reported by numerous studies, these results might provide new insights towards understanding the mechanisms behind GMV alterations observed in these brain disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoph Kraus
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
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Hahn A, Nics L, Baldinger P, Ungersböck J, Dolliner P, Frey R, Birkfellner W, Mitterhauser M, Wadsak W, Karanikas G, Kasper S, Lanzenberger R. Combining image-derived and venous input functions enables quantification of serotonin-1A receptors with [carbonyl-11C]WAY-100635 independent of arterial sampling. Neuroimage 2012; 62:199-206. [PMID: 22579604 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2012.04.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2011] [Revised: 04/11/2012] [Accepted: 04/24/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED image- derived input functions (IDIFs) represent a promising technique for a simpler and less invasive quantification of PET studies as compared to arterial cannulation. However, a number of limitations complicate the routine use of IDIFs in clinical research protocols and the full substitution of manual arterial samples by venous ones has hardly been evaluated. This study aims for a direct validation of IDIFs and venous data for the quantification of serotonin-1A receptor binding (5-HT(1A)) with [carbonyl-(11)C]WAY-100635 before and after hormone treatment. METHODS Fifteen PET measurements with arterial and venous blood sampling were obtained from 10 healthy women, 8 scans before and 7 after eight weeks of hormone replacement therapy. Image-derived input functions were derived automatically from cerebral blood vessels, corrected for partial volume effects and combined with venous manual samples from 10 min onward (IDIF+VIF). Corrections for plasma/whole-blood ratio and metabolites were done separately with arterial and venous samples. 5-HT(1A) receptor quantification was achieved with arterial input functions (AIF) and IDIF+VIF using a two-tissue compartment model. RESULTS Comparison between arterial and venous manual blood samples yielded excellent reproducibility. Variability (VAR) was less than 10% for whole-blood activity (p>0.4) and below 2% for plasma to whole-blood ratios (p>0.4). Variability was slightly higher for parent fractions (VARmax=24% at 5 min, p<0.05 and VAR<13% after 20 min, p>0.1) but still within previously reported values. IDIFs after partial volume correction had peak values comparable to AIFs (mean difference Δ=-7.6 ± 16.9 kBq/ml, p>0.1), whereas AIFs exhibited a delay (Δ=4 ± 6.4s, p<0.05) and higher peak width (Δ=15.9 ± 5.2s, p<0.001). Linear regression analysis showed strong agreement for 5-HT(1A) binding as obtained with AIF and IDIF+VIF at baseline (R(2)=0.95), after treatment (R(2)=0.93) and when pooling all scans (R(2)=0.93), with slopes and intercepts in the range of 0.97 to 1.07 and -0.05 to 0.16, respectively. In addition to the region of interest analysis, the approach yielded virtually identical results for voxel-wise quantification as compared to the AIF. CONCLUSIONS Despite the fast metabolism of the radioligand, manual arterial blood samples can be substituted by venous ones for parent fractions and plasma to whole-blood ratios. Moreover, the combination of image-derived and venous input functions provides a reliable quantification of 5-HT(1A) receptors. This holds true for 5-HT(1A) binding estimates before and after treatment for both regions of interest-based and voxel-wise modeling. Taken together, the approach provides less invasive receptor quantification by full independence of arterial cannulation. This offers great potential for the routine use in clinical research protocols and encourages further investigation for other radioligands with different kinetic characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Hahn
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
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Differential modulation of the default mode network via serotonin-1A receptors. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2012; 109:2619-24. [PMID: 22308408 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1117104109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Reflecting one's mental self is a fundamental process for evaluating the personal relevance of life events and for moral decision making and future envisioning. Although the corresponding network has been receiving growing attention, the driving neurochemical mechanisms of the default mode network (DMN) remain unknown. Here we combined positron emission tomography and functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate modulations of the DMN via serotonin-1A receptors (5-HT(1A)), separated for 5-HT autoinhibition (dorsal raphe nucleus) and local inhibition (heteroreceptors in projection areas). Using two independent approaches, regional 5-HT(1A) binding consistently predicted DMN activity in the retrosplenial cortex for resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging and the Tower of London task. On the other hand, both local and autoinhibitory 5-HT(1A) binding inversely modulated the posterior cingulate cortex, the strongest hub in the resting human brain. In the frontal part of the DMN, a negative association was found between the dorsal medial prefrontal cortex and local 5-HT(1A) inhibition. Our results indicate a modulation of key areas involved in self-referential processing by serotonergic neurotransmission, whereas variations in 5-HT(1A) binding explained a considerable amount of the individual variability in the DMN. Moreover, the brain regions associated with distinct introspective functions seem to be specifically regulated by the different 5-HT(1A) binding sites. Together with previously reported modulations of dopamine and GABA, this regional specialization suggests complex interactions of several neurotransmitters driving the default mode network.
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Age, sex, and reproductive hormone effects on brain serotonin-1A and serotonin-2A receptor binding in a healthy population. Neuropsychopharmacology 2011; 36:2729-40. [PMID: 21849982 PMCID: PMC3230496 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2011.163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
There is a need for rigorous positron emission tomography (PET) and endocrine methods to address inconsistencies in the literature regarding age, sex, and reproductive hormone effects on central serotonin (5HT) 1A and 2A receptor binding potential (BP). Healthy subjects (n=71), aged 20-80 years, underwent 5HT1A and 2A receptor imaging using consecutive 90-min PET acquisitions with [(11)C]WAY100635 and [(18)F]altanserin. Logan graphical analysis was used to derive BP using atrophy-corrected distribution volume (V(T)) in prefrontal, mesiotemporal, occipital cortices, and raphe nucleus (5HT1A only). We used multivariate linear regression modeling to examine BP relationships with age, age(2), sex, and hormone concentrations, with post hoc regional significance set at p<0.008. There were small postsynaptic 5HT1A receptor BP increases with age and estradiol concentration in women (p=0.004-0.005) and a tendency for small 5HT1A receptor BP declines with age and free androgen index in men (p=0.05-0.06). Raphe 5HT1A receptor BP decreased 4.5% per decade of age (p=0.05), primarily in men. There was a trend for 15% receptor reductions in prefrontal cortical regions in women relative to men (post hoc p=0.03-0.10). The significant decline in 5HT2A receptor BP relative to age (8% per decade; p<0.001) was not related to sex or hormone concentrations. In conclusion, endocrine standardization minimized confounding introduced by endogenous hormonal fluctuations and reproductive stage and permitted us to detect small effects of sex, age, and endogenous sex steroid exposures upon 5HT1A binding. Reduced prefrontal cortical 5HT1A receptor BP in women vs men, but increased 5HT1A receptor BP with aging in women, may partially explain the increased susceptibility to affective disorders in women during their reproductive years that is mitigated in later life. 5HT1A receptor decreases with age in men might contribute to the known increased risk for suicide in men over age 75 years. Low hormone concentrations in adults <50 years of age may be associated with more extreme 5HT1A receptor BP values, but remains to be studied further. The 5HT2A receptor declines with age were not related to sex or hormone concentrations in this sample. Additional study in clinical populations is needed to further examine the affective role of sex-hormone-serotonin receptor relationships.
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5-HT1A-receptor over-expressing mice: Genotype and sex dependent responses to antidepressants in the forced swim-test. Neuropharmacology 2011; 61:433-41. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2011.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2010] [Revised: 02/24/2011] [Accepted: 03/02/2011] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Madsen K, Haahr MT, Marner L, Keller SH, Baaré WF, Svarer C, Hasselbalch SG, Knudsen GM. Age and sex effects on 5-HT(4) receptors in the human brain: a [(11)C]SB207145 PET study. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 2011; 31:1475-81. [PMID: 21364600 PMCID: PMC3130316 DOI: 10.1038/jcbfm.2011.11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Experimental studies indicate that the 5-HT(4) receptor activation influence cognitive function, affective symptoms, and the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The prevalence of AD increases with aging, and women have a higher predisposition to both AD and affective disorders than men. This study aimed to investigate sex and age effects on 5-HT(4) receptor-binding potentials in striatum, the limbic system, and neocortex. Positron-emission tomographic scans were conducted using the radioligand [(11)C]SB207145 in a cohort of 30 healthy subjects (mean age 44 years; range 20 to 86 years; 14 men and 16 women). The output parameter, BP(ND), was modeled using the simplified reference tissue model, and partial volume correction was performed with the Muller-Gartner method. A decline with age of 1% per decade was found only in striatum. Women had a 13% lower 5-HT(4) receptor binding in the limbic system. The lower limbic 5-HT(4) receptor binding in women supports a role for 5-HT(4) receptors in the sex-specific differences in emotional control and might contribute to the higher prevalence of affective diseases and AD in women. The relatively stable 5-HT(4) receptor binding with aging contrasts others in subtypes of receptors, which generally decrease with aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karine Madsen
- Neurobiology Research Unit, Department of Neurology, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Kranz G, Hahn A, Ungersböck J, Kaufmann U, Stein P, Baldinger P, Höflich A, Zgud S, Mitterhauser M, Wadsak W, Kasper S, Lanzenberger R. Cortisol plasma levels are associated with serotonin - 1A receptor binding in postmenopausal women. Eur Psychiatry 2011. [DOI: 10.1016/s0924-9338(11)72638-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
IntroductionAlterations of the serotonin-1A receptor (5-HT1A) and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis have been reported in depression and anxiety disorders. We previously showed a strong negative correlation between cortisol plasma levels and 5-HT1A receptor binding potential (BP) in patients with social anxiety disorder but not in healthy controls using PET [1].ObjectivesTo investigate the relationship of cortisol and the 5-HT1A BP in postmenopausal women, a population that is at increased risk of suffering from depressive symptoms.MethodsSubjects: 19 postmenopausal women, aged 55.26 ± 4.98, medication free, no current substance abuse or hormone replacement therapy.PETDynamic measurements (50 frames, 90 min) were performed using the radioligand [carbonyl-11C]WAY100635 and a GE-Advance scanner. PET data were normalized to a ligand-specific template [2]. Regions-of-interest (ROI) were defined as given in [3]. TACs within ROIs were averaged and the 5-HT1A receptor BP was quantified using Logan-plot and PMOD 3.1. Measurement of total cortisol plasma levels was done using electrochemoluminescence.ResultsWe found negative correlations between cortisol and 5-HT1A BP in the midbrain (Spearman's rs = −0.54, p = 0.02), the median raphe nucleus (rs = −0.47, p = 0.04) and the nucleus accumbens (rs = −0.505, p = 0.03).ConclusionsIn line with our previous findings [1], the observed negative association between cortisol plasma levels and 5-HT1A BP might reflect an increased vulnerability for mood disorders in postmenopausal women.
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Escitalopram enhances the association of serotonin-1A autoreceptors to heteroreceptors in anxiety disorders. J Neurosci 2010; 30:14482-9. [PMID: 20980606 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2409-10.2010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) represent one of the most common treatment options in major depression and anxiety disorders. By blocking the serotonin transporter, SSRIs modulate serotonergic neurotransmission as well as the function of autoreceptors and heteroreceptors. However, treatment-induced changes on a network level primarily remain unknown. Thus, we evaluated the association between serotonin-1A (5-HT1A) autoreceptors and heteroreceptors before and after SSRIs. Twenty-one patients with anxiety disorders underwent positron emission tomography using [carbonyl-11C]WAY-100635 before and after 12 weeks of escitalopram treatment; 15 of them completed the study protocol. Additionally, 36 drug-naive healthy controls were measured once. The 5-HT1A receptor binding potential (BPND) was quantified for the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) using a region-of-interest approach and for the entire brain by calculating parametric maps. Voxel-wise linear regression was applied between DRN autoreceptor and whole-brain heteroreceptor 5-HT1A BPND. Consistent with previous observations, healthy subjects showed widespread positive correlations of 5-HT1A BPND between autoreceptors and heteroreceptors. Comparing patients before versus after escitalopram treatment revealed enhanced associations of autoreceptor-to-heteroreceptor 5-HT1A BPND within the amygdala and hippocampus (R2=0.21-0.28 vs 0.49-0.81; p<0.05-0.001). In contrast, no significant SSRI-induced changes were found for correlations of heteroreceptor-to-heteroreceptor 5-HT1A BPND between several limbic regions. This interregional approach suggests a treatment-induced reinforcement of the association of 5-HT1A binding between autoreceptors and heteroreceptors specifically in areas involved in anxiety disorders. These findings provide complementary information about treatment effects on a network level and confirm the central role of the DRN as a prime regulatory area.
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Best J, Nijhout HF, Reed M. Serotonin synthesis, release and reuptake in terminals: a mathematical model. Theor Biol Med Model 2010; 7:34. [PMID: 20723248 PMCID: PMC2942809 DOI: 10.1186/1742-4682-7-34] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2010] [Accepted: 08/19/2010] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that has been linked to a wide variety of behaviors including feeding and body-weight regulation, social hierarchies, aggression and suicidality, obsessive compulsive disorder, alcoholism, anxiety, and affective disorders. Full understanding of serotonergic systems in the central nervous system involves genomics, neurochemistry, electrophysiology, and behavior. Though associations have been found between functions at these different levels, in most cases the causal mechanisms are unknown. The scientific issues are daunting but important for human health because of the use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and other pharmacological agents to treat disorders in the serotonergic signaling system. METHODS We construct a mathematical model of serotonin synthesis, release, and reuptake in a single serotonergic neuron terminal. The model includes the effects of autoreceptors, the transport of tryptophan into the terminal, and the metabolism of serotonin, as well as the dependence of release on the firing rate. The model is based on real physiology determined experimentally and is compared to experimental data. RESULTS We compare the variations in serotonin and dopamine synthesis due to meals and find that dopamine synthesis is insensitive to the availability of tyrosine but serotonin synthesis is sensitive to the availability of tryptophan. We conduct in silico experiments on the clearance of extracellular serotonin, normally and in the presence of fluoxetine, and compare to experimental data. We study the effects of various polymorphisms in the genes for the serotonin transporter and for tryptophan hydroxylase on synthesis, release, and reuptake. We find that, because of the homeostatic feedback mechanisms of the autoreceptors, the polymorphisms have smaller effects than one expects. We compute the expected steady concentrations of serotonin transporter knockout mice and compare to experimental data. Finally, we study how the properties of the the serotonin transporter and the autoreceptors give rise to the time courses of extracellular serotonin in various projection regions after a dose of fluoxetine. CONCLUSIONS Serotonergic systems must respond robustly to important biological signals, while at the same time maintaining homeostasis in the face of normal biological fluctuations in inputs, expression levels, and firing rates. This is accomplished through the cooperative effect of many different homeostatic mechanisms including special properties of the serotonin transporters and the serotonin autoreceptors. Many difficult questions remain in order to fully understand how serotonin biochemistry affects serotonin electrophysiology and vice versa, and how both are changed in the presence of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Mathematical models are useful tools for investigating some of these questions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janet Best
- Department of Mathematics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210 USA
| | | | - Michael Reed
- Department of Mathematics, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708 USA
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Spinelli S, Chefer S, Carson RE, Jagoda E, Lang L, Heilig M, Barr CS, Suomi SJ, Higley JD, Stein EA. Effects of early-life stress on serotonin(1A) receptors in juvenile Rhesus monkeys measured by positron emission tomography. Biol Psychiatry 2010; 67:1146-53. [PMID: 20172506 PMCID: PMC2882499 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2009.12.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2009] [Revised: 12/14/2009] [Accepted: 12/26/2009] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Traumatic experiences in early childhood are associated with increased risk for developing mood and anxiety disorders later in life. Low serotonin(1A) receptor (5-HT(1A)R) density during development has been proposed as a trait-like characteristic leading to increased vulnerability of stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders. METHODS To assess the relationship between early-life stress and alterations in the serotonin system during development, we used positron emission tomography to measure in vivo 5-HT(1A)R density and apparent dissociation constant (K(D)(app)) in the brain of juvenile Rhesus monkeys exposed to the early-life stress of peer-rearing. RESULTS In general, 5-HT(1A)R density and K(D)(app) were decreased in peer-reared compared with control mother-reared animals. However, increase in receptor density was found in the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex of peer-reared females. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that exposure to an adverse early-life environment during infancy is associated with long-term alterations in the serotonin system and support previous studies suggesting that reduced 5-HT(1A)R density during development might be a factor increasing vulnerability to stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders. Furthermore, alterations in the serotonin system seemed to be gender- and region-specific, providing a biological basis for the higher prevalence of affective disorders in women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Spinelli
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Poolesville, MD, USA.
| | - Svetlana Chefer
- Neuroimaging Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, MD
| | | | - Elaine Jagoda
- National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, Bethesda, MD
| | - Lixin Lang
- National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, Bethesda, MD
| | - Markus Heilig
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD
| | - Christina S. Barr
- Laboratory of Clinical and Translational Studies, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Poolesville, MD
| | - Stephen J. Suomi
- Laboratory of Comparative Ethology, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Poolesville, MD
| | - J. Dee Higley
- Department of Psychology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT
| | - Elliot A. Stein
- Neuroimaging Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, MD
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Moser U, Wadsak W, Spindelegger C, Mitterhauser M, Mien LK, Bieglmayer C, Kletter K, Kasper S, Lanzenberger R. Hypothalamic serotonin-1A receptor binding measured by PET predicts the plasma level of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate in healthy women. Neurosci Lett 2010; 476:161-5. [PMID: 20399839 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2010.04.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2009] [Revised: 02/16/2010] [Accepted: 04/10/2010] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Serotonin modulates the activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis particularly via the serotonin-1A receptor (5-HT(1A)). Therefore, the rationale of this positron emission tomography (PET) study was to investigate the influence of the 5-HT(1A) receptor distribution in the human brain on plasma levels of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) and cortisol in vivo. Eighteen healthy female were measured with PET and the selective 5-HT(1A) receptor radioligand [carbonyl-(11)C]WAY-100635. Nine a priori defined brain regions (hypothalamus, orbitofrontal cortex, amygdala, hippocampus, anterior and posterior cingulate cortices, dorsal raphe nucleus, retrosplenial cortex, and insula) and the cerebellum (reference region) were delineated on coregistered MR images. DHEAS and cortisol plasma levels were collected by blood sampling in the morning of the PET day. Linear regression analysis of DHEAS plasma level as dependent variable and hypothalamic 5-HT(1A) receptor binding potential (BP) as independent variable showed a highly significant association (r=.691, p=.002). The hypothalamic 5-HT(1A) BP predicted 47.7% of the variability in DHEAS plasma levels. Regressions were borderline significant (p<.01, Bonferroni corrected threshold <.0056) between 5-HT(1A) BP in the anterior cingulate and orbitofrontal cortices and free cortisol levels. No significant associations between DHEAS or cortisol and the 5-HT(1A) receptor BP in other investigated brain regions were found. In conclusion, the serotonergic system may influence the DHEAS plasma level by modulating CRH and ACTH release via hypothalamic 5-HT(1A) receptors as reported for cortisol before. As disturbances of the HPA axis as well as changes of the 5-HT(1A) receptor distribution have been reported in affective disorders, future studies should focus on these interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrike Moser
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
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Witte AV, Flöel A, Stein P, Savli M, Mien LK, Wadsak W, Spindelegger C, Moser U, Fink M, Hahn A, Mitterhauser M, Kletter K, Kasper S, Lanzenberger R. Aggression is related to frontal serotonin-1A receptor distribution as revealed by PET in healthy subjects. Hum Brain Mapp 2009; 30:2558-70. [PMID: 19086022 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.20687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Various studies indicate that serotonin regulates impulsivity and the inhibitory control of aggression. Aggression is also known to be modified by sex hormones, which exert influence on serotonergic neurotransmission. The present study aimed to elucidate potential interactions between human aggression, the inhibitory serotonergic 5-HT(1A) receptor, and sex hormones. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN Thirty-three healthy volunteers (16 women, aged 26.24 +/- 5.5 yr) completed a validated questionnaire incorporating five dimensions of aggression. Subsequently, all subjects underwent positron emission tomography with the radioligand [carbonyl-(11)C]WAY-100635 to quantify 5-HT(1A) binding potentials (BP(ND)s) in the prefrontal cortex, limbic areas, and midbrain. Also, plasma levels of testosterone, 17beta-estradiol and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) were measured. Relations between aggression scores, regional 5-HT(1A) BP(ND)s, and hormone levels were analyzed using correlations, multivariate analyses of variance, and linear regressions. PRINCIPAL OBSERVATIONS Statistical analyses revealed higher 5-HT(1A) receptor BP(ND)s in subjects exhibiting higher aggression scores in prefrontal (all P < 0.041) and anterior cingulate cortices (P = 0.016). More aggressive subjects were also characterized by lower SHBG levels (P = 0.015). Moreover, higher SHBG levels were associated with lower 5-HT(1A) BP(ND)s in frontal (P = 0.048) and cingulate cortices (all P < 0.013) and in the amygdala (P = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS The present study provides first-time evidence for a specific interrelation between the 5-HT(1A) receptor distribution, sex hormones, and aggression in humans. Our findings point to a reduced down-stream control due to higher amounts or activities of frontal 5-HT(1A) receptors in more aggressive subjects, which is presumably modulated by sex hormones.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Veronica Witte
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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Witte AV, Savli M, Holik A, Kasper S, Lanzenberger R. Regional sex differences in grey matter volume are associated with sex hormones in the young adult human brain. Neuroimage 2009; 49:1205-12. [PMID: 19796695 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2009.09.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 117] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2009] [Revised: 09/04/2009] [Accepted: 09/22/2009] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous studies suggest organizing effects of sex hormones on brain structure during early life and puberty, yet little is known about the adult period. The aim of the present study was to elucidate the role of 17beta-estradiol, progesterone, and testosterone on cortical sex differences in grey matter volume (GM) of the adult human brain. To assess sexual dimorphism, voxel-based morphometry (VBM) was applied on structural magnetic resonance images of 34 healthy, young adult humans (17 women, 17 men, 26.6+/-5 years) using analyses of covariance. Subsequently, circulating levels of sex hormones were associated with regional GM using linear regression analyses. After adjustment for sex and total GM, significant associations of regional GM and 17beta-estradiol were observed in the left inferior frontal gyrus (beta=0.39, p=0.02). Regional GM was inversely associated with testosterone in the left inferior frontal gyrus (beta=-0.16, p=0.04), and with progesterone in the right temporal pole (beta=-0.39, p=0.008). Our findings indicate that even in young adulthood, sex hormones exert organizing effects on regional GM. This might help to shed further light on the underlying mechanisms of both functional diversities and congruence between female and male brains.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Veronica Witte
- Department of Psychiatry, Functional NeuroImaging Unit - PET & fMRI, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
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Becherer A. The molecular background of sex difference in depressive disorders: still an enigma. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 2009; 35:2156-8. [PMID: 18773207 DOI: 10.1007/s00259-008-0928-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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Fink M, Wadsak W, Savli M, Stein P, Moser U, Hahn A, Mien LK, Kletter K, Mitterhauser M, Kasper S, Lanzenberger R. Lateralization of the serotonin-1A receptor distribution in language areas revealed by PET. Neuroimage 2008; 45:598-605. [PMID: 19103294 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2008.11.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2008] [Revised: 10/06/2008] [Accepted: 11/12/2008] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Lateralization is a well described aspect of the human brain. A plethora of morphological, cytological and functional studies describes hemispheric asymmetry in auditory and language areas. However, no study has reported cortical lateralization in the healthy human brain in vivo on the level of neurotransmitter receptors and in relation to functional organization so far. In this study, we assessed the distribution of the main inhibitory serotonergic receptor (the 5-HT1A receptor) and analyzed its regional binding with regard to hemisphere, sex and plasma levels of sex steroid hormones (testosterone, estradiol, progesterone). We quantified the 5-HT1A receptor binding potential by positron emission tomography (PET) using the highly selective and specific radioligand [carbonyl-11C]WAY-100635 and measured hormone levels in thirty-four (16 females, 18 males) healthy right-handed subjects. The obtained data were analyzed in an automated region of interest (ROI) based approach investigating 14 auditory, language and limbic areas. We found significantly higher 5-HT1A receptor binding in the superior and middle frontal gyri of the right hemisphere, the triangular and orbital parts of the inferior frontal gyrus, the supramarginal gyrus, the superior gyrus of the temporal pole and the middle temporal gyrus. Regions of the primary and secondary auditory cortex (Heschl's gyrus and superior temporal gyrus) and the Rolandic operculum displayed significantly higher receptor binding in the left hemisphere. 5-HT1A receptor binding was 1.8-2.9% higher in right frontal ROIs and 2-3.6% higher in left primary and secondary auditory regions. There was no hemispheric difference in 5-HT(1A) receptor binding in the hippocampus, amygdala, and insula. Post-hoc testing suggested that lateralization of 5-HT1A receptor binding differed between the sexes in the triangular part of the inferior frontal gyrus. For the first time, this PET study shows lateralization of the main inhibitory receptor of the serotonergic system in functionally asymmetric organized regions of the healthy human brain in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Fink
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
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