Altered Serotonin 1A Binding in Major Depression: A [carbonyl-C-11]WAY100635 Positron Emission Tomography Study

• Published in: Biological psychiatry (1969) 2006-01, Vol.59 (2), p.106-113
• Main Authors: Parsey, Ramin V., Oquendo, Maria A., Ogden, R. Todd, Olvet, Doreen M., Simpson, Norman, Huang, Yung-yu, Van Heertum, Ronald L., Arango, Victoria, Mann, J. John
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; antidepressants; Antidepressive Agents - therapeutic use; Biological and medical sciences; Carbon Radioisotopes - metabolism; Depression; Depressive Disorder, Major - diagnostic imaging; Depressive Disorder, Major - drug therapy; Depressive Disorder, Major - genetics; Depressive Disorder, Major - metabolism; Female; genotype; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; medication; Mood disorders; Neuropharmacology; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Piperazines - metabolism; polymorphism; Polymorphism, Genetic; Positron-Emission Tomography; Promoter Regions, Genetic - genetics; Psychoanaleptics: cns stimulant, antidepressant agent, nootropic agent, mood stabilizer..., (alzheimer disease); Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Psychopharmacology; Pyridines - metabolism; Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT1A - drug effects; Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT1A - genetics; Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT1A - metabolism; Reference Values; Serotonin Antagonists - metabolism; Unipolar
• ISSN: 0006-3223; 1873-2402
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2005.06.016

Serotonin 1A receptors (5-HT 1A) are implicated in the pathophysiology of major depressive disorder (MDD) and in the action of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI). SSRI desensitize 5-HT 1A and down-regulate 5-HT transporters (5-HTT) with the latter persisting for weeks after discontinuation of SSRI. MDD subjects are more likely to be homozygous for the functional 5-HT 1A G(-1019) allele of the promoter polymorphism and are postulated to have higher 5-HT 1A than healthy volunteers (controls). We measure 5-HT 1A in MDD, assess the effects of antidepressant exposure (AE), and examine the role of the C(-1019)G polymorphism. Genotyped and determined 5-HT 1A binding potential (BP) by positron emission tomography (PET) using [carbonyl-C-11]-WAY-100635 in 28 medication-free MDD subjects during a current major depressive episode and 43 controls. No difference in BP between controls and MDD subjects ( p = .235). There was a difference in BP comparing the controls, antidepressant naive (AN) MDD subjects, and subjects with AE across all regions ( p = .013). Post hoc testing reveals higher BP in AN compared to controls ( p = .008) and to AE ( p = .007). The GG genotype is overrepresented in MDD subjects ( p = .059), and BP appears higher with the G allele. AN have higher 5-HT 1A than controls and AE suggesting a model of depression characterized by an over expression of autoinhibitory somatodendritic 5-HT 1A receptors, perhaps due to the higher expressing G allele, that may result in reduced terminal field 5-HT release. AE appears to have long-term effects on 5-HT 1A.