Decreases in dopamine receptors but not in dopamine transporters in alcoholics
- PMID: 8986209
- DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.1996.tb05936.x
Decreases in dopamine receptors but not in dopamine transporters in alcoholics
Abstract
It has been hypothesized that ethanol's actions on the dopamine (DA) system may participate in addiction. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the DA system in the brain of alcoholics. We evaluated 10 alcoholics and 17 nonalcoholics using positron emission tomography and [11C]raclopride to measure DA D2 receptors. In addition, in 5 of the alcoholics and 16 of the nonalcoholics, we also measured DA transporters with [11C]d-threo methylphenidate. The ratio of the distribution volumes in striatum to that in cerebellum, which corresponds to Bmax/Kd + 1, was used as model parameter of DA D2 receptor and transporter availability. Dopamine D2 receptor availability (Bmax/Kd) was significantly lower in alcoholics (2.1 +/- 0.5) than in nonalcoholics (2.7 +/- 0.6) (p < 0.05) and was not correlated with days since last alcohol use. Alcoholics showed DA transporter values similar to those in nonalcoholics. The ratio of DA D2 receptor to transporter availability was significantly higher in nonalcoholics (1.4 +/- 0.1) than in alcoholics (1.1 +/- 0.1) (p < 0.005). Alcoholics showed significant reductions in D2 receptors (postsynaptic marker) but not in DA transporter availability (presynaptic marker) when compared with nonalcoholics. Because D2 receptors in striatum are mainly localized in gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) cells these results provide evidence of GABAergic involvement in the dopaminergic abnormalities seen in alcoholics.
Similar articles
-
Therapeutic doses of oral methylphenidate significantly increase extracellular dopamine in the human brain.J Neurosci. 2001 Jan 15;21(2):RC121. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.21-02-j0001.2001. J Neurosci. 2001. PMID: 11160455 Free PMC article. Clinical Trial.
-
Striatal presynaptic dopamine function in type 1 alcoholics measured with positron emission tomography.Mol Psychiatry. 1998 Mar;3(2):156-61. doi: 10.1038/sj.mp.4000365. Mol Psychiatry. 1998. PMID: 9577840
-
Dopamine transporters increase in human brain after alcohol withdrawal.Mol Psychiatry. 1999 Mar;4(2):189-91, 104-5. doi: 10.1038/sj.mp.4000514. Mol Psychiatry. 1999. PMID: 10208452
-
Raclopride, a new selective ligand for the dopamine-D2 receptors.Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 1988;12(5):559-68. doi: 10.1016/0278-5846(88)90001-2. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 1988. PMID: 2975809 Review.
-
Imaging studies on the role of dopamine in cocaine reinforcement and addiction in humans.J Psychopharmacol. 1999 Dec;13(4):337-45. doi: 10.1177/026988119901300406. J Psychopharmacol. 1999. PMID: 10667609 Review.
Cited by
-
Does compulsion explain addiction?Addict Biol. 2024 Apr;29(4):e13379. doi: 10.1111/adb.13379. Addict Biol. 2024. PMID: 38588458 Free PMC article.
-
Cannabidiol as a Modulator of the Development of Alcohol Tolerance in Rats.Nutrients. 2023 Mar 30;15(7):1702. doi: 10.3390/nu15071702. Nutrients. 2023. PMID: 37049542 Free PMC article.
-
Striatal dopamine D2-like receptors availability in obesity and its modulation by bariatric surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Sci Rep. 2023 Mar 27;13(1):4959. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-31250-2. Sci Rep. 2023. PMID: 36973321 Free PMC article.
-
Distinct cortico-striatal compartments drive competition between adaptive and automatized behavior.PLoS One. 2023 Mar 21;18(3):e0279841. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0279841. eCollection 2023. PLoS One. 2023. PMID: 36943842 Free PMC article.
-
Association of dopamine D2-like and D3 receptor function with initial sensitivity to cocaine reinforcement in male rhesus monkeys.Brain Res. 2023 May 15;1807:148323. doi: 10.1016/j.brainres.2023.148323. Epub 2023 Mar 11. Brain Res. 2023. PMID: 36914041 Free PMC article.
Publication types
MeSH terms
Substances
Grants and funding
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Medical