Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32494974›Full record

ArticlePsychopharmacology2020

Serotonin transporter protein in autopsied brain of chronic users of cocaine.

Junchao Tong, Jeffrey H Meyer, Isabelle Boileau, Lee-Cyn Ang, Paul J Fletcher, Yoshiaki Furukawa, Stephen J Kish

Open access · greenAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Psychopharmacology, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
0.7field-weighted citation impact, top 36% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 8 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Review
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Striatonigrostriatal Spirals in Addiction.Frontiers in neural circuits · 2021
    Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Junchao TongPreclinical Imaging, Brain Health Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 250 College Street, Toronto, ON, M5T 1R8, Canada. Junchao.tong@camh.ca.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9299-0045
Jeffrey H MeyerBrain Health Imaging Centre and Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Isabelle BoileauAddiction Imaging Research Group, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Lee-Cyn AngDivision of Neuropathology, London Health Sciences Centre, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada.
Paul J FletcherSection of Biopsychology, Department of Psychology, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Yoshiaki FurukawaDepartment of Neurology, Juntendo Tokyo Koto Geriatric Medical Center, and Faculty of Medicine, University & Post Graduate University of Juntendo, Tokyo, Japan.
Stephen J KishHuman Brain Laboratory, Brain Health Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health · CAJuntendo University · JPWestern University · CA

Funding

IS CHRONIC COCAINE ABUSE TOXIC TO THE HUMAN BRAIN?R01DA007182 · NIDA · UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO · PI KISH, STEPHEN JOHN · 1991 to 2000
$181k
NIDA NIH HHS DA07182NIDA NIH HHS R01 DA007182
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

rationaleThe long-held speculation that the brain serotonin system mediates some behavioral effects of the psychostimulant cocaine is supported in part by the high affinity of cocaine for the serotonin transporter (SERT) and by reports that the serotonin transporter (SERT), estimated by SERT binding, is increased in brain of human chronic cocaine users. Excessive SERT activity and consequent synaptic serotonin deficiency might cause a behavioral (e.g., mood) abnormality in chronic users of the drug. OBJECTIVE AND

methodsPrevious studies focused on changes in SERT binding, which might not necessarily reflect changes in SERT protein. Therefore, we compared levels of SERT protein, using a quantitative Western blot procedure, in autopsied brain (striatum, cerebral cortices) of chronic human cocaine users (n = 9), who all tested positive for the drug/metabolite in brain, to those in control subjects (n = 15) and, as a separate drug of abuse group, in chronic heroin users (n = 11).

resultsWe found no significant difference in protein levels of SERT or the serotonin synthesizing enzyme tryptophan hydroxylase-2 among the control and drug abuse groups. In the cocaine users, no significant correlations were observed between SERT and brain levels of cocaine plus metabolites, or with levels of serotonin or its metabolite 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid.

conclusionOur postmortem data suggest that a robust increase in striatal/cerebral cortical SERT protein is not a common characteristic of chronic, human cocaine users.

Indexed as

AdultBrainCocaineCocaine-Related DisordersDopamine Uptake InhibitorsFemaleHumansMaleProtein BindingSerotonin Plasma Membrane Transport ProteinsCocaineDopamine Uptake InhibitorsSerotonin Plasma Membrane Transport ProteinsSLC6A4 protein, humanCocaineHeroinPostmortem human brainSerotonin transporterWestern blot

Identifiers

PMID32494974
PMCPMC7502513
OpenAlexW3029636560

What OpenQuestion holds

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Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.