Imaging the D3 dopamine receptor across behavioral and drug addictions: Positron emission tomography studies with [(11)C]-(+)-PHNO.
Chronic drug use has been associated with dopaminergic abnormalities, detectable in humans with positron emission tomography (PET). Among these, a hallmark feature is low D2 dopamine receptor availability, which has been linked to clinical outcomes, but has not yet translated into a therapeutic strategy. The D3 dopamine receptor on the other hand has gained increasing attention, as, in contrast to D2, chronic exposure to drugs has been shown to up-regulate this receptor subtype in preclinical models of addiction-a phenomenon linked to dopamine system sensitization and drug-seeking. The present article summarizes the literature to date in humans, suggesting that the D3 receptor may indeed contribute to core features of addiction such as impulsiveness and cognitive impairment. A particularly useful tool in investigating this question is the PET imaging probe [(11)C]-(+)-PHNO, which binds to D2/3 dopamine receptors but has preferential affinity for D3. This technique has been used to demonstrate D3 up-regulation in humans, and can be applied to assess pharmacological interventions for development of D3-targeted strategies in addiction treatment.
['Boileau|Isabelle|I|', 'Nakajima|Shinichiro|S|', 'Payer|Doris|D|']
D000818:Animals D001921:Brain D006801:Humans D010078:Oxazines D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals D050637:Receptors, Dopamine D3 D019966:Substance-Related Disorders
Addiction Positron emission tomography [(11)C]-(+)-PHNO Impulsiveness D(3) dopamine receptor