Investigating the effects of norepinephrine α1 receptor blockade on dopamine levels: A pilot PET study with [11C]‐(+)‐PHNO in controls |
| |
| Authors: | Bernard Le Foll Thulasi Thiruchselvam Shawna Xiaoyun Lu Shakira Mohammed Esmaeil Mansouri Dina Lagzdins Shinichiro Nakajima Alan A. Wilson Ariel Graff‐Guerrero Patricia Di Ciano Isabelle Boileau |
| |
| Affiliation: | 1. Translational Addiction Research Laboratory, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada;2. Alcohol Research and Treatment Clinic, Addiction Medicine Services, Ambulatory Care and Structured Treatments, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada;3. Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada;4. Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto, Canada;5. Department of Pharmacology, University of Toronto, Canada;6. Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Canada;7. Division of Brain and Therapeutics, University of Toronto, Canada;8. Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Canada;9. Research Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada;10. Addiction Imaging Research Group, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| |
| Abstract: | Interest in a role for norepinephrine (NE) in substance use disorders has increased over recent years. In particular, its interaction with dopamine (DA) is of importance. In this study, positron emission tomography (PET) was used to explore the impact of prazosin (an alpha 1 NE antagonist) on DA levels. Healthy volunteers were administered prazosin for approximately 4 weeks at the daily dose of 15 mg to reach steady state. Participants were scanned with PET imaging and the [11C]‐(+)‐PHNO tracer at baseline (before prazosin), at steady state, and after a wash out period. Prazosin administration was associated with an increase of [11C]‐(+)‐PHNO binding potential in the dorsal caudate relative to baseline, which corresponds to a decrease in DA levels. This study is the first to demonstrate interactions between DA and NE in healthy humans. |
| |
| Keywords: | PET [11C]‐(+)‐PHNO dopamine noradrenaline prazosin |
|
|
