Abstract
Extract: Serotonin (5HT) transport and metabolism were studied in platelets from 14 trisomy-21 patients who were matched with 12 sibling and 9 non-sibling control subjects with regard to age, sex, home environment, diet and weight. Endogenous 5HT content, in nanograms per milligram platelet protein, was reduced from 446 ± 66 in the sibling controls and from 492 ± 74 in the non-sibling controls to 158 ± 16 in the Down's syndrome group, a difference of 61% and 68% respectively (P < 0.001). Initial uptake of 14C-5HT measured after a 3-min incubation period was reduced 35% (P < 0.05) in the platelets from Down's syndrome patients, while the efflux of radiolabeled amine from platelets was not significantly altered in these patients. Since platelets do not synthesize 5HT, the decreased transport found may explain the lower 5HT levels in these patients. Mongols did not differ from control subjects in the activity of platelet monoamine oxidase.
Speculation: Similarities in the uptake, storage, and release of 5HT between the human blood platelet and the serotonergic neuron suggest that the 5HT abnormality observed in mongol platelets may reflect disordered metabolism of the monoamine within the central nervous system.
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Lott, I., Chase, T. & Murphy, D. Down's Syndrome: Transport, Storage, and Metabolism of Serotonin in Blood Platelets. Pediatr Res 6, 730–735 (1972). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197209000-00006
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197209000-00006
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