Autoradiographic Demonstration of Increased Serotonin 5-HT2 and Beta-Adrenergic Receptor Binding Sites in the Brain of Suicide Victims

This study attempts to discover which brain regions are involved with serotonin (5-HT-2) deficiencies in those who display suicidal behaviour. The authors determined the pattern of 5-HT-2 receptor binding sites in prefrontal cortex compared with temporal cortex in 11 suicide victims & 11 matched controls. They also examined B-adrenergic receptor binding sites. Binding to 5-HT-2 & B-adrenergic sites in slide-mounted sections correlated strongly with binding site number in membrane preparations.VM