Study Report
Reference
| Citation | Austin, 2003 PubMed |
| Full Info | Austin, M.C., Janosky, J.E. and Murphy, H.A. (2003) Increased corticotropin-releasing hormone immunoreactivity in monoamine-containing pontine nuclei of depressed suicide men. Mol Psychiatry, 8, 324-332.
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Study
| Hypothesis or Background |
A number of clinical investigations and postmortem brain studies have provided evidence that excessive corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) secretion and neurotransmission is involved in the pathophysiology of depressive illness, and several studies have suggested that the hyperactivity in CRH neurotransmission extends beyond the hypothalamus involving several extra-hypothalamic brain regions.
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| Sample Information | 11 matched pairs of depressed suicide and control male subjects |
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| Method Detail | The present study was designed to test the hypothesis that CRH levels are increased in specific brainstem regions of suicide victims with a diagnosis of major depression. Frozen tissue sections of the pons containing the locus coeruleus and caudal raphe nuclei from 11 matched pairs of depressed suicide and control male subjects were processed for radioimmunocytochemistry using a primary antiserum to CRH and a ([125])I-IgG secondary antibody. The optical density corresponding to the level of CRH-immunoreactivity (IR) was quantified in specific pontine regions from the film autoradiographic images. |
| Method Keywords | postmortem study |
| Result | The level of CRH-IR was increased by 30% in the locus coeruleus, 39% in the median raphe and 45% in the caudal dorsal raphe in the depressed suicide subjects compared to controls. No difference in CRH-IR was found in the dorsal tegmentum or medial parabrachial nucleus between the subject groups. |
| Conclusions | These findings reveal that CRH-IR levels are specifically increased in norepinephrine- and serotonin-containing pontine nuclei of depressed suicide men, and thus they are consistent with the hypothesis that CRH neurotransmission is elevated in extra-hypothalamic brain regions of depressed subjects. |
Relationships reported by
Austin, 2003
| Component A Approved Name (Name in Paper) |
Component A Type |
Component B Approved Name (Name in Paper) |
Component B Type |
Statistical Result |
Relationship Description |
Result Category (Positive/Negative)) |
|
MDD
|
syndrome |
Corticoliberin (corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH)) |
protein |
|
The level of CRH-IR (CRH-immunoreactivity) was increased by 30% in the locus coeruleus, 39% in the median raphe and 45% in the caudal dorsal raphe in the depressed suicide subjects compared to controls. |
Positive
|
|
Suicide (suicide)
|
symptoms |
Corticoliberin (corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH)) |
protein |
|
The level of CRH-IR was increased by 30% in the locus coeruleus, 39% in the median raphe and 45% in the caudal dorsal raphe in the depressed suicide subjects compared to controls. |
Positive
|
