Serotonin receptors in the human brain--III. Autoradiographic mapping of serotonin-1 receptors

Abstract

The anatomical distribution of serotonin-1 receptors in human postmortem brain tissue was studied by quantitative light microscopic autoradiography. [3H]Serotonin was used to label all the subtypes of serotonin-1 sites (serotonin-1A, serotonin-1B, serotonin-1C). Serotonin-1A receptors were specifically labelled with [3H]8-hydroxy-2-[N,N-di-N-propyl-amino]tetralin, while [3H]mesulergine was used to identify serotonin-1C receptors. Receptor densities were quantified by means of a computer-assisted microdensitometric system. Confirming previous findings, serotonin-1A and serotonin-1C receptors were found in the human brain, while sites with the pharmacological characteristics of serotonin-1B binding sites could not be identified in this tissue. In addition, serotonin-1C receptors appeared to present differences in terms of pharmacology, depending on the brain area analysed. The distribution of both serotonin-1A and serotonin-1C receptor subtypes throughout the human brain was heterogeneous. High or very high densities of serotonin-1A receptors were found over the Ca1 field of the hippocampus, raphé nuclei, layers I and II of the cortex and some nuclei of the thalamus and amygdala. The claustrum, posterior hypothalamus, mesencephalic and pontine central grey matter and substantia gelatinosa of the cervical spinal cord, among others, presented intermediate concentrations of serotonin-1A receptors. In contrast, high densities of serotonin-1C receptors were present in the choroid plexus, substantia nigra, globus pallidus and ventromedial hypothalamus, while low or very low amounts of this receptor subtype were found in many other human brain areas. The anatomical distribution of serotonin-1A and serotonin-1C receptors is discussed taking into account the distribution of serotonergic neurons and fibres, the central functions in which serotonin appears to be involved and the characteristics of the neurological and psychiatric disorders where changes in brain serotonin-1 receptors have been reported.