2019/10/30
Keio University School of Medicine
A research group led by Senior Lecturer Yuki Sugiura and Guest Professor Makoto Suematsu of the Keio University School of Medicine, and Assistant Professor Eiji Sugiyama of the University of Shizuoka (at the time of the research, Project Assistant Professor at the Keio University School of Medicine), has improved the precision of mass spectrometry imaging technology and successfully visualized the levels of monoamines (serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine), which are responsible for regulating emotion and behavior, in the entire mouse brain. While there are various techniques for acquiring brain images, this is the first time whole-brain mapping has been achieved using a method that directly detects monoamines.
The whole-brain map of monoamines created by the team led to the identification of several new nuclei where monoamines accumulate. Among them, it was found that extremely high levels of serotonin and norepinephrine accumulate in a nucleus called the "paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus," which is deeply involved in the regulation of emotions such as fear and anxiety. This suggests that this nucleus is a key nucleus connecting the serotonergic and noradrenergic systems.
This newly discovered serotonergic neural circuit, which includes the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus, is expected to become a new drug discovery target for the development of novel therapeutic drugs for psychiatric disorders.
This research was published in the American scientific journal "iScience" on October 25, 2019.
For the full press release, please see below.