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Dopamine transporter availability in heroin-dependent subjects and controls: longitudinal changes during abstinence and the effects of Jitai tablets treatment

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Abstract

Rationale

Previous imaging studies have indicated that the levels of the dopamine transporter (DAT) are reduced in the brains of heroin users. However, whether these changes can be reversed by abstinence and/or treatment remains unclear.

Objectives

This study aims to investigate DAT availability in heroin users and changes in DAT availability after abstinence and treatment with the Jitai tablets, a traditional Chinese medicinal product that is approved for the treatment of opioid addiction.

Methods

Single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) with [99mTc] TRODAT-1 was performed on heroin-dependent patients (n = 64) and healthy controls (n = 15). The patients were randomly assigned to treatment with either placebo or the Jitai. All patients underwent SPECT imaging both at baseline and after 6 months of treatment. DAT availability was assessed in the caudate and putamen. Depression and anxiety were evaluated at baseline.

Results

DAT availability remained at low levels during a 6-month period in the placebo-treated group but was increased (14–17 %) in the Jitai-treated group. The ratio of DAT availability at month 6 to that at baseline in the Jitai-treated group was significantly higher than that in the placebo-treated group in both the bilateral caudate and putamen. DAT uptake in the striatum was significantly correlated with daily heroin dose, years of heroin use, and depression.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that chronic heroin use induces long-lasting striatal DAT reductions. DAT availability remained unchanged during a 6-month period of abstinence. Treatment with Jitai appears to be effective at increasing striatal DAT availability.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by grants from the National Key Technology R&D Program of China (2008BA149B04 and 2008BA149B01), the China National Science Foundation (81173139), and the Major Research Plan of NSFC (21233003). The authors gratefully thank Daqing Shi, Zhijun Zheng, Hua Zhou, Mei Wen, and Zhihui Ni for patient care and Xianhui Qin for advice on statistics. The authors acknowledge the suggestions of Dr. Henry Huang and Prof. Yu-Shin Ding. The study was approved by the Shanghai Mental Health Centre, China.

Conflict of interest

All authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Radiopharmaceuticals, College of Chemistry, Beijing Normal University, 19 Xinjiekouwai Street, Haidian district, Beijing, China

    Ying Liu, Mei Han & Jinlong Gao

  2. Department of Nuclear Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, 2 M. Urumqi Road, Shanghai, China

    Ying Liu, Xingdang Liu, Jie Yuan, Rongbin Lv, Yuankai Wang & Guangming Zhang

  3. National Institute on Drug Dependence, Peking University, Beijing, China

    Yanping Deng

  4. Drug Rehabilitation Center, Shanghai, China

    Yu Li

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  1. Ying Liu
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  2. Mei Han
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Correspondence to Mei Han or Xingdang Liu.

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Liu, Y., Han, M., Liu, X. et al. Dopamine transporter availability in heroin-dependent subjects and controls: longitudinal changes during abstinence and the effects of Jitai tablets treatment. Psychopharmacology 230, 235–244 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-013-3148-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-013-3148-z

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