J Korean Soc Biol Psychiatry.  2001 Nov;8(2):220-225.

5-HT Transporter and Mood Disorder

• Lee MS

Abstract

As numbers of serotonin's function are so many, studies of serotonin are numerous nowadays. In the beginning, concentration of metabolites such as 5-HIAA was a key issue, but recent studies have been challenged for serotonin receptor genes and their relation to mood disoder. Serotonin transporter(5-HTT) gene is a strong candidate gene of mood disoder for following reason. Serotonin transporter is a key protein in the serogonin pathway as it regulate the concentration of serotonin in the synaptic clept and essential pathophysiology of depression is dysregulation of 5-HTT so that all antidepressants have effect of 5-HTT antagonist. The decrease of 5-HTT in the platelet and in brain of the depressive patients is much consistent results in the studies of the pathophysiology of mood disorder till now. By this, we will be able to develop simple and easy marker for diagnosis type. and treatment monitoring of depression. Many psychiatrists have sought the independent genes in relation to depression or schizophrenia. Obviously, the hereditary vulnerability contributes to etiology of mood disorders, but it is difficult to discriminate the independent genes because of many environmental factors. Moreover, in the hereditarily complex diseases such as mood disorder, the only vulnerability of gene can not sufficiently explain the etiology. In the future, to exclude the role of the gene-environmental interaction the methods such as gene transfer can be considered. in the opposite direction, by usion the gene destruction method the role of target genes can be examined. As yet the concept of the gene expression, neural plasticity, neurogenesis and etc is the elementary stage. The development of this field will help to establish the treatment strategy of chronic and refractory mood disorders.

MeSH Terms

Antidepressive Agents
Blood Platelets
Brain
Depression
Diagnosis
Gene Expression
Humans
Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid
Mood Disorders*
Neurogenesis
Plastics
Psychiatry
Schizophrenia
Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins
Serotonin*
Antidepressive Agents
Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid
Plastics
Serotonin
Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins