Whole-hemisphere autoradiography of 5-HT₁B receptor densities in postmortem alcoholic brains.

The 5-HT(1B) receptor has been associated with alcohol dependence, impulsive or alcohol-related aggressive behavior, and anxiety. The aim of this study was to determine whether or not the 5-HT(1B) receptor density differs in brain samples from anxiety-prone Cloninger type 1 alcoholics and socially hostile, predominantly male, type 2 alcoholics, and controls. Whole-hemispheric 5-HT(1B) receptor density was measured in eight regions of postmortem brains from 17 alcoholics and 10 nonalcoholic controls by autoradiography with tritiated GR-125743 and unlabeled ketanserin to prevent 5-HT(1D) binding. The 5-HT(1B) receptor density was not altered significantly in any of the studied regions. However, some correlations were observed in types 1 and 2 alcoholics only. The 5-HT(1B) receptor density decreased with age in type 1 alcoholics only. There was a significant positive correlation between 5-HT(1B) receptor and serotonin transporter densities in the head of caudate of type 1 alcoholics only. There was a significant positive correlation between 5-HT(1B) receptor density and dopaminergic terminal density, as estimated by vesicular monoamine transporter 2 measurement in the nucleus accumbens of type 2 alcoholics only. There were no significant correlations between 5-HT(1B) receptor and dopamine transporter or dopamine D2/D3 receptor densities in any of the subject groups. In conclusion, these results do not indicate primary changes in 5-HT(1B) receptor densities among these alcoholics, although the data must be considered as preliminary.