The expression of platelet serotonin transporter (SERT) in human obesity

Background: Serotonin (5-HT) is a well-known modulator of eating behavior. However, the molecular mechanisms linking its action to body weight balance have been only partially elucidated. Since platelets are a suitable peripheral model to study 5-HT transport, metabolism and release, we herein evaluated the expression of the platelet 5-HT re-uptake system (SERT) by [H-3]-paroxetine binding assay. A cohort of 114 unrelated individuals (34 males, 80 females; age, mean +/- SD: 38.57 +/- 12.47 years) without major psychiatric disorders, was recruited following a naturalistic design regarding age or gender and classified accordingly to their body mass index (BMI). Subjects were divided into 5 groups: normal-weight (NW), overweight (OW) and grade I-III obese (OB) individuals. For gender analyses, data were transformed into [H-3]-paroxetine density (B-max)/BMI ratios to overcome both the disparity of women vs. men number and anthropometric differences between sexes.