Exp Neurobiol.  2015 Mar;24(1):90-94. 10.5607/en.2015.24.1.90.

Asymmetry of Dopamine D2/3 Receptor Availability in Dorsal Putamen and Body Mass Index in Non-obese Healthy Males

• Cho SS
• Yoon EJ
• Kim SE

• KMID: 2052855
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5607/en.2015.24.1.90

Abstract

The dopaminergic system is involved in the regulation of food intake, which is crucial for the maintenance of body weight. We examined the relationship between striatal dopamine (DA) D2/3 receptor availability and body mass index (BMI) in 25 non-obese healthy male subjects using [11C]raclopride and positron emission tomography. None of [11C]raclopride binding potential (BP) values (measures of DA D2/3 receptor availability) in striatal subregions (dorsal caudate, dorsal putamen, and ventral striatum) in the left and right hemispheres was significantly correlated with BMI. However, there was a positive correlation between the right-left asymmetry index of [11C]raclopride BP in the dorsal putamen and BMI (r=0.43, p<0.05), suggesting that greater BMI is linked with higher receptor availability in the right dorsal putamen relative to the left in non-obese individuals. The present results, combined with previous findings, may also suggest neurochemical mechanisms underlying the regulation of food intake in non-obese individuals.

Keyword

Dopamine; striatum; body mass index; asymmetry

MeSH Terms

Body Mass Index*
Body Weight
Dopamine*
Eating
Humans
Male
Positron-Emission Tomography
Putamen*
Dopamine