Abstract
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Objectives Dopamine transporter (DAT) in the striatum plays an important role in drug addiction. To explore the effect of heroin and Methamphetamine (METH) addiction on the dopamine transporter, we assessed the DAT levels in the striatum by 99mTc-TRODAT-1 single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) brain imaging in people with heroin dependence and METH abuse.
Methods We recruited healthy human controls (n=21), heroin dependent subjects (n=23), and METH abusers (n=25). The heroin and METH dependent subjects exhibited negative urine toxicology after undergoing physiological detoxification for two weeks. All subjects underwent SPECT brain imaging after two weeks abstinence. SPECT scans performed at 2-3 hours after the intravenous injection of 99mTc-TRODAT-1. Specific tracer uptake ratios (SURs) were assessed bilaterally in the regions of interest (ROIs), namely, right striatum and left striatum.
Results A significant SURs reduction in heroin dependent subjects and METH dependent subjects compared with healthy controls was found in right striatum (1.28±0.19, 1.23±0.33 and 1.98±0.39, P<0.001) and left striatum (1.33±0.17, 1.24±0.31 and 1.97±0.41, P<0.001). There were no significant differences between heroin group and METH group in right striatum (1.28±0.19 and 1.23±0.33, P>0.05) and left striatum (1.33±0.17 and 1.24±0.31, P>0.05).
Conclusions Our results indicated that people with heroin dependence and METH dependency who are currently abstinent had lower DAT levels in striatum than healthy controls. Chronic heroin and METH abuse may cause damage to striatal dopamine neurons. There were no differences in striatal DAT in heroin and METH users. These results suggest that the reduction of DAT in striatum would be similar between heroin and METH.
Research Support This study was supported by a grant from the National Science and Technology Support Plan Project of China (2008BAI49B04).
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