Autoradiographic analysis of [3H]desmethylimipramine binding in the human brain postmortem.

In vitro quantitative autoradiography of high-affinity [3H]desmethylimipramine (DMI) binding sites was performed on 24 human brains postmortem. Highest densities of binding sites were found in portions of the amygdala, the granular layer of the dentate gyrus, the pyramidal layer of CA4. Next, in descending order were other portions of the hippocampus and amygdala, the head of the caudate nucleus, putamen, hypothalamus, insular cortex, prefrontal cortex, parietal, frontal and temporal cortex, anterior, medial and posterolateral nuclei of the thalamus. Lowest densities, hardly above background, were found in the two divisions of the globus pallidus, the centromedian, ventrolateral and posteroventral lateral nuclei of the thalamus, substantia nigra, red nucleus and white matter. Specific high-affinity [3H]DMI binding was not affected by age, sex and suicide in any of the regions studied. It was negatively correlated with postmortem delay in several regions.