Dopamine D2/D3-receptor and transporter densities in nucleus accumbens and amygdala of type 1 and 2 alcoholics

Alcohol acts through mechanisms involving the brain neurotransmitter dopamine (DA) with the nucleus accumbens as the key zone for mediating these effects. We evaluated the densities of DA D(2)/D(3) receptors and transporters in the nucleus accumbens and amygdala of post-mortem human brains by using...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inMolecular psychiatry Vol. 6; no. 3; pp. 261 - 267
Main Authors TUPALA, E, HALL, H, BERGSTRÖM, K, SÄRKIOJA, T, RÄSÄNEN, P, MANTERE, T, CALLAWAY, J, HILTUNEN, J, TIIHONEN, J
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Basingstoke Nature Publishing Group 01.05.2001
Subjects
Addictive behaviors
Adult and adolescent clinical studies
Alcoholics
Alcoholism
Amygdala
Animal memory
Animal training
Autoradiography
Biological and medical sciences
Carrier proteins
Dopamine
Dopamine D2 receptors
Dopamine D3 receptors
Dopamine receptors
Dopamine transporter
Genetic aspects
Medical sciences
Nucleus accumbens
Physiological aspects
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychopathology. Psychiatry
Radioisotopes
Risk factors
Finland
Human
Nucleus accumbens
Autoradiography
D2 Dopamine receptor
Amygdala
Pathophysiology
Alcoholism
Biological transport
Postmortem
Brain (vertebrata)
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Summary:Alcohol acts through mechanisms involving the brain neurotransmitter dopamine (DA) with the nucleus accumbens as the key zone for mediating these effects. We evaluated the densities of DA D(2)/D(3) receptors and transporters in the nucleus accumbens and amygdala of post-mortem human brains by using [(125)l]epidepride and [(125)I]PE2I as radioligands in whole hemispheric autoradiography of Cloninger type 1 and 2 alcoholics and healthy controls. When compared with controls, the mean binding of [(125)I]epidepride to DA D(2)/D(3) receptors was 20% lower in the nucleus accumbens and 41% lower in the amygdala, and [(125)I]PE2I binding to DA transporters in the nucleus accumbens was 39% lower in type 1 alcoholics. These data indicate that dopaminergic functions in these limbic areas may be impaired among type 1 alcoholics, due to the substantially lower number of receptor sites. Our results suggest that such a reduction may result in the chronic overuse of alcohol as an attempt to stimulate DA function.
ISSN:1359-4184
1476-5578
DOI:10.1038/sj.mp.4000859