Quantitation of 5HT(2A) receptor mRNA in human postmortem brain using competitive RT-PCR

WE describe quantitation of the absolute amounts of 5HT(2A) receptor mRNA i n various areas of human postmortem brain using a very sensitive and specif ic technique: competitive reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction ( RT-PCR). With this procedure, we were able to show that the highest levels of 5HT(2A) receptor mRNA are in cerebral cortical areas, i.e., Brodmann's a reas 8, 9, 10, 18, 19, 22, 24, and 46, and that intermediate levels occur i n the hippocampus, the amygdala, the nucleus accumbens, and the hypothalamu s. Very low levels of 5HT(2A) receptor mRNA were found in the cerebellum, t he thalamus, the caudate, and the putamen. Our results confirm the heteroge neous distribution of 5HT(2A) receptor mRNA in human postmortem brain and s uggest that competitive RT-PCR is a highly sensitive and specific procedure for the quantitative measurement of 5HT(2A) receptor mRNA expression. The study of 5HT(2A) receptor mRNA in different brain areas will help clarify t he regulation of 5HT(2A) receptors at the transcriptional level in various neuropsychiatric diseases. NeuroReport 9: 3761-3765 (C) 1998 Lippincott Wil liams & Wilkins.