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- Best, Laura M., et al.
(författare)
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Lower brain fatty acid amide hydrolase in treatment-seeking patients with alcohol use disorder: a positron emission tomography study with [C-11]CURB
- 2020
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Ingår i: Neuropsychopharmacology. - : SPRINGERNATURE. - 0893-133X .- 1740-634X. ; 45:8, s. 1289-1296
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The endocannabinoid enzyme, fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), has been proposed as a therapeutic target for alcohol use disorder (AUD) and co-morbid psychiatric illnesses. Investigating this target in the living human brain and its relationship to clinical outcome is a critical step of informed drug development. Our objective was to establish whether brain FAAH levels are low in individuals with AUD and related to drinking behavior. In this pilot study, treatment-seeking patients with AUD completed two PET scans with the FAAH radiotracer [C-11]CURB after 3-7 days (n = 14) and 2-4 weeks (n = 9) of monitored abstinence. Healthy controls (n = 25) completed one scan. FAAH genetic polymorphism (rs324420) and blood concentrations of anandamide and other N-acylethanolamines metabolized by FAAH were determined and AUD symptoms assessed. In AUD, brain FAAH levels were globally lower than controls during early abstinence (F(1,36) = 5.447; p = 0.025)) and FAAH substrates (anandamide, oleoylethanolamide, and N-docosahexaenoylethanolamide) were significantly elevated (30-67%). No significant differences in FAAH or FAAH substrates were noted after 2-4 weeks abstinence. FAAH levels negatively correlated with drinks per week (r = -0.57, p = 0.032) and plasma concentrations of the three FAAH substrates (r > 0.57; p < 0.04)). Our findings suggest that early abstinence from alcohol in AUD is associated with transiently low brain FAAH levels, which are inversely related to heavier alcohol use and elevated plasma levels of FAAH substrates. Whether low FAAH is an adaptive beneficial response to chronic alcohol is unknown. Therapeutic strategies focusing on FAAH inhibition should consider the possibility that low FAAH during early abstinence may be related to drinking.
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| 2. |
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| 3. |
- Plaven-Sigray, Pontus, et al.
(författare)
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Positron Emission Tomography Studies of the Glial Cell Marker Translocator Protein in Patients With Psychosis : A Meta-analysis Using Individual Participant Data
- 2018
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Ingår i: Biological Psychiatry. - : Elsevier BV. - 0006-3223 .- 1873-2402. ; 84:6, s. 433-442
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Accumulating evidence suggests that the immune system may be an important target for new treatment approaches in schizophrenia. Positron emission tomography and radioligands binding to the translocator protein (TSPO), which is expressed in glial cells in the brain including immune cells, represents a potential method for patient stratification and treatment monitoring. This study examined whether patients with first-episode psychosis and schizophrenia had altered TSPO levels compared with healthy control subjects.METHODS: PubMed was searched for studies comparing patients with psychosis with healthy control subjects using second-generation TSPO radioligands. The outcome measure was total distribution volume (V-T), an index of TSPO levels, in frontal cortex, temporal cortex, and hippocampus. Bayes factors (BFs) were applied to examine the relative support for higher, lower, or no difference in patients' TSPO levels compared with healthy control subjects.RESULTS: Five studies, with 75 participants with first-episode psychosis or schizophrenia and 77 healthy control subjects, were included. BFs showed strong support for lower VT in patients relative to no difference (all BFs > 32), or relative to higher V-T (all BFs > 422), in all brain regions. From the posterior distributions, mean patient-control differences in standardized V-T values were -0.48 for frontal cortex (95% credible interval [CredInt] = -0.88 to 0.09), -0.47 for temporal cortex (CredInt = -0.87 to -0.07), and -0.63 for hippocampus (CredInt = -1.00 to -0.25).CONCLUSIONS: The lower levels of TSPO observed in patients may correspond to altered function or lower density of brain immune cells. Future studies should focus on investigating the underlying biological mechanisms and their relevance for treatment.
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