Comparison of brain serotonin transporter using [I-123]-ADAM between obese and non-obese young adults without an eating disorder

PLoS One. 2017 Feb 9;12(2):e0170886. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0170886. eCollection 2017.

Abstract

Cerebral serotonin metabolism has an important but controversial role in obesity. However, it is not given enough attention in morbidly obese young adults. We used single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) with [I-123]-labeled 2-((2-((dimethylamino)methyl)phenyl)thio)-5-iodophenylamine (ADAM) to investigate changes in serotonin transporter (SERT) availability in 10 morbidly obese young adults without an eating disorder (M/F = 5/5, body mass index (BMI): 40.3 ± 4.1 kg/m2, percentage of body fat (BF%): 46.0 ± 3.9%) and 10 age- and sex-matched non-obese controls (BMI: 20.3 ± 1.2 kg/m2, BF%: 20.6 ± 8.9%). All participants underwent SPECT at 10 min and 6 h after an injection of 200 MBq of [I-123]-ADAM. The SERT binding site (midbrain) was drawn with cerebellum normalization. The BF% and fat distribution were measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. The midbrain/cerebellum SERT binding ratios (2.49 ± 0.46 vs. 2.47 ± 0.47; p = 0.912) at 6 h were not significantly different between groups, nor was the distribution of the summed images at 10 min (1.36 ± 0.14 vs. 1.35 ± 0.11; p = 0.853). There were no significant correlations between midbrain/cerebellum SERT binding ratio and age, BMI, BF%, or fat distribution. No significant difference in SERT availability in the midbrain between morbidly obese and non-obese young adults without an eating disorder indicates an unmet need for investigating the role of cerebral serotonin in obesity.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Brain / diagnostic imaging*
  • Brain / metabolism
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Cinanserin / analogs & derivatives
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Obesity / diagnostic imaging*
  • Obesity / metabolism
  • Radiopharmaceuticals
  • Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / metabolism*
  • Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon*

Substances

  • 2-((2-((dimethylamino)methyl)phenyl)thio)-5-iodophenylamine
  • Radiopharmaceuticals
  • Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins
  • Cinanserin

Grants and funding

Funding for this study was provided by Taiwan National Science Council (NSC) grants NSC93-NU-7-006-003, NSC94-NU-7-006-004, NSC93-2314-B-006-110, and NSC94-2314-B-006-119; the NSC had no further role in study design; in the collection, analysis and interpretation of data; in the writing of the report; and in the decision to submit the paper for publication.