MK4MDD

Study Report

Reference
CitationHamidi, 2004 PubMed
Full InfoHamidi, M., Drevets, W.C. and Price, J.L. (2004) Glial reduction in amygdala in major depressive disorder is due to oligodendrocytes. Biol Psychiatry, 55, 563-569.

Study
Hypothesis or Background A previous study reported reductions in glial density and glia/neuron ratio in the amygdala of individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD), without a change in neuronal density. It is not known, however, whether this glial loss is due to astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, or microglia.
Sample Informationsubjects diagnosed with MDD (n = 8), bipolar disorder (BD) (n = 9), or no psychiatric disorders (n = 10)
Method DetailTissue samples, equally from the right and left hemispheres, were obtained from subjects diagnosed with MDD (n = 8), bipolar disorder (BD) (n = 9), or no psychiatric disorders (n = 10). Sections were stained immunohistochemically for S-100beta (for astrocytes) and human leukocyte antigen (for microglia), and with the Nissl method. In Nissl-stained sections, oligodendrocytes have more compact, darker-stained nuclei, whereas astrocytes and microglia have larger, lighter-stained nuclei, with more granular chromatin. Neurons are larger, with a nucleolus and stained cytoplasm. The density of glia was determined with stereologic methods.
Method Keywordspostmortem study
ResultThe density of total glia and oligodendrocytes in the amygdala was significantly lower in MDD than in control subjects, but not significantly lower in BD compared with control subjects. The decreases were largely accounted for by differences in the left hemisphere. There was no significant decrease in astrocyte or microglia density in MDD or BD subjects.
ConclusionsThe glial cell reduction previously found in the amygdala in MDD is primarily due to oligodendrocytes.

Relationships reported by Hamidi, 2004