Polymorphism in the serotonin transporter gene and moderators of prolactin response to meta-chlorophenylpiperazine in African-American cocaine abusers and controls

Mannelli, Paolo; Patkar, Ashwin A.; Peindl, Kathleen; Tharwani, Haresh; Gopalakrishnan, Raman; Hill, Kevin P.; Berrettini, Wade H.

doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2006.01.012

Next »Psychiatry Research
Volume 144, Issue 2 , Pages 99-108, 15 November 2006

Polymorphism in the serotonin transporter gene and moderators of prolactin response to meta-chlorophenylpiperazine in African-American cocaine abusers and controls☆

Paolo Mannelli
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
Ashwin A. Patkar
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Corresponding author. Duke University Medical Center, 4323 Ben Franklin Boulevard, Suite 700, Durham, NC 27704, USA. Tel.: +1 919 471 3826; fax: +1 919 620 0346.
Kathleen Peindl
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
Haresh Tharwani
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
Raman Gopalakrishnan
- Department of Psychiatry, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Kevin P. Hill
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
Wade H. Berrettini
- Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA

Received 16 October 2005; received in revised form 6 January 2006; accepted 15 January 2006.

Abstract

Serotonin (5-HT) function is altered in several psychiatric disorders, including cocaine dependence (CD), and its role in impulsive-aggressive behaviors has been widely studied. However, the relationship between psychopathological and behavioral dimensions and mechanisms of 5-HT alterations remains unclear. We investigated the relationship of a polymorphism in the 5′ promoter region of the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTTLPR) with prolactin (PRL) response to meta-chlorophenylpiperazine (m-CPP) in a sample of 68 African-American individuals, 35 CD subjects and 33 controls. We also examined whether measures of impulsivity, hostility and sensation seeking influenced the relationship between the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism and PRL response to m-CPP in this sample. Individuals with the SS genotype showed significantly heightened PRL response to the challenge compared with the LL and LS genotypes. No influence of gender or substance abuse condition was observed. Hostility was associated with blunted PRL response in the total sample. Cocaine abuse was the most significant moderator of ΔPRL (peak PRL−baseline PRL), and the interaction of genetic, behavioral and psychopathological measures helped predict most of the observed ΔPRL (62.5%). Although these results need replication, variation in the 5-HTTLPR gene appears to influence measures of 5-HT function and interact with disease state and personality dimensions to account for 5-HT disturbances in African-American populations.

Keywords: Serotonin, m-CPP, 5-HTTLPR, Substance abuse, Aggression, Behavior

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☆ Work carried out at: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham NC; Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia PA; Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.

PII: S0165-1781(06)00024-2

doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2006.01.012

Next »Psychiatry Research
Volume 144, Issue 2 , Pages 99-108, 15 November 2006

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