Effects of ageing on serotonin transporters in healthy females

Eur J Nucl Med. 2001 Jul;28(7):911-3. doi: 10.1007/s002590100540.

Abstract

The effect of ageing on brain serotonin transporters was evaluated in 19 healthy female volunteers (age range 22-74 years) using single-photon emission tomography and [123I]nor-beta-CIT. The study subjects were scanned 0.3, 3, 6 and 23 h after injection of 185 MBq of [123I]nor-beta-CIT. The ratio of the distribution volume for tracer in the midbrain to that in the cerebellum minus 1 was used as an index for serotonin transporter binding. An age-related decline of 2% per decade (r=-0.47; P<0.05) was found in the midbrain. The decline in [123I]nor-beta-CIT binding in the serotonin transporter-rich area is much less than that in dopamine transporters in the striatum (6% per decade).

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aging / metabolism*
  • Brain / metabolism*
  • Carrier Proteins / analysis*
  • Cerebellum / metabolism
  • Cocaine / analogs & derivatives*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Iodine Radioisotopes
  • Membrane Glycoproteins / analysis*
  • Membrane Transport Proteins*
  • Mesencephalon / metabolism
  • Middle Aged
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins*
  • Radiopharmaceuticals
  • Reference Values
  • Serotonin / analysis*
  • Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins
  • Sex Characteristics*
  • Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon*

Substances

  • Carrier Proteins
  • Iodine Radioisotopes
  • Membrane Glycoproteins
  • Membrane Transport Proteins
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins
  • Radiopharmaceuticals
  • SLC6A4 protein, human
  • Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins
  • N-nor-3-(4'-iodophenyl)tropane-2-carboxylic acid methyl ester
  • Serotonin
  • Cocaine