Premium
Low brain uptake of L‐[ 11 C]5‐hydroxytryptophan in major depression: a positron emission tomography study on patients and healthy volunteers
Author(s) -
Agren H.,
Reibring L.,
Hartvig P.,
Tedroff J.,
Bjurling P.,
Hörnfeldt K.,
Andersson Y.,
Lundqvist H.,
Langström B.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
acta psychiatrica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.849
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1600-0447
pISSN - 0001-690X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0447.1991.tb05574.x
Subject(s) - depression (economics) , serotonin , positron emission tomography , 5 hydroxytryptophan , pathophysiology , blood–brain barrier , medicine , psychology , endocrinology , central nervous system , psychiatry , nuclear medicine , receptor , economics , macroeconomics
The precursor of serotonin, L‐5‐hydroxytryptophan (L‐5‐HTP), was radiolabelled with 11 C in the β‐position, yielding [β‐ 11 C]serotonin after decarboxylation, allowing positron emission tomography studies of L‐5‐HTP uptake across the blood‐brain barrier. We studied 8 healthy volunteers and 6 patients with histories of DSM‐III major depression, 2 with repeated examinations after clinically successful treatment. We report a significantly lower uptake of [ 11 C]5‐HTP across the blood‐brain barrier in depressed patients, irrespective of phase of illness. The findings emphasize that serotonin is involved in depressive pathophysiology and support earlier suggestions that the transport of 5‐HTP across the blood‐brain barrier is compromised in major depression.