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Dopamine Function and Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Thyroid Axis Activity in Major Depressed Patients with Suicidal Behavior. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12050621. [PMID: 35625008 PMCID: PMC9139537 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12050621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Revised: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Involvement of the dopaminergic (DA) and hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) systems in suicidal behavior is still poorly understood. We assessed multihormonal responses to apomorphine (APO; a short acting DA receptor agonist) and 8 AM and 11 PM protirelin (TRH) tests in 30 medication-free DSM-5 euthyroid major depressed inpatients with suicidal behavior disorder (SBD) (current, n = 14; in early remission, n = 16) and 18 healthy hospitalized control subjects (HCs). Compared to HCs, responses to APO and TRH tests were unaltered in SBDs in early remission. However, current SBDs exhibited increased APO-induced growth hormone (GH) and adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) stimulation, and reduced 11 PM thyrotropin (TSH) and ∆∆TSH values (difference between 11 PM and 8 AM TRH-TSH responses). In current SBDs, the association between high APO-GH concentrations and low ∆∆TSH values was more common in recent suicide attempters than in past suicide attempters. These preliminary results suggest that co-occurring alterations in the DA and HPT systems (i.e., DA receptor hyperresponsiveness associated with decreased hypothalamic TRH drive) may contribute to the pathophysiology of suicidal behavior. Conversely, normalization of DA and TRH functions might reflect a process of recovery from suicidality. Thus, our findings suggest that drugs targeting the DAergic and TRH systems could be relevant in suicide prevention.
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Abstract
Suicide is a leading cause of death, and presently, there is no definitive clinical indicator of future suicide behaviors. Anhedonia, a transdiagnostic symptom reflecting diminished ability to experience pleasure, has recently emerged as a risk factor for suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs). This overview, therefore, has the following aims. First, prior research relating anhedonia to STBs will be reviewed, with a particular focus on clarifying whether anhedonia is more closely associated with suicidal thoughts versus behaviors. Second, the National Institute of Mental Health's Research Domain Criteria Positive Valence Systems provide a useful heuristic to probe anhedonia across different units of analysis, including clinical symptoms, behaviors, neural mechanisms, and molecular targets. Accordingly, anhedonia-related constructs linked to STBs will be detailed as well as promising next steps for future research. Third, although anhedonia is not directly addressed in leading suicide theories, this review will provide potential inroads to explore anhedonia within diathesis-stress and interpersonal suicide frameworks. Last, novel approaches to treat anhedonia as a means of reducing STBs will be examined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Randy P Auerbach
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA.
- Division of Clinical Developmental Neuroscience, Sackler Institute, New York, NY, USA.
| | - David Pagliaccio
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
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Tiger M, Svensson J, Liberg B, Saijo T, Schain M, Halldin C, Farde L, Lundberg J. [ 11 C]raclopride positron emission tomography study of dopamine-D 2/3 receptor binding in patients with severe major depressive episodes before and after electroconvulsive therapy and compared to control subjects. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2020; 74:263-269. [PMID: 31943514 DOI: 10.1111/pcn.12980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2019] [Revised: 01/03/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
AIM The aim of the study was to test: (i) if D2 /D3 binding in three functional subsections of striatum is different in patients with severe major depressive episodes than in controls; and (ii) if this difference is normalized after electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). METHODS Nine inpatients were examined with positron emission tomography (PET) and the radioligand [11 C]raclopride before and after an average of 8.4 ECT sessions. Treatment response was assessed using the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale. Nine age- and sex-matched controls were examined twice with PET and [11 C]raclopride. RESULTS [11 C]raclopride binding was significantly lower in all three subsections of striatum in patients compared to controls (Cohen's dz , 1.14-1.68; P = 0.003-0.027). Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Ratings decreased significantly after ECT (P < 0.001; Cohen's dz , 2.9). ECT had no statistically significant effect on [11 C]raclopride binding, although post-ECT binding estimates were more similar to those obtained in controls in all subsections of striatum. CONCLUSION Using PET and [11 C]raclopride, we found support for the notion that severe major depressive episodes are associated with significantly lower dopamine D2 /D3 binding in all three subsections of striatum compared to controls. We noted no significant effect on D2 /D3 binding in the patient group after response to ECT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikael Tiger
- Center for Psychiatry Research, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm County Council, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jonas Svensson
- Center for Psychiatry Research, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm County Council, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Benny Liberg
- Center for Psychiatry Research, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm County Council, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Tomoyuki Saijo
- Center for Psychiatry Research, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm County Council, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Martin Schain
- Neurobiology Research Unit, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Christer Halldin
- Center for Psychiatry Research, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm County Council, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lars Farde
- Center for Psychiatry Research, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm County Council, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Johan Lundberg
- Center for Psychiatry Research, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm County Council, Stockholm, Sweden
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Ho TC, Cichocki AC, Gifuni AJ, Catalina Camacho M, Ordaz SJ, Singh MK, Gotlib IH. Reduced dorsal striatal gray matter volume predicts implicit suicidal ideation in adolescents. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2019; 13:1215-1224. [PMID: 30256980 PMCID: PMC6234322 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsy089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2018] [Accepted: 09/23/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Suicidal ideation (SI), a potent risk factor for suicide attempts, increases in adolescence. While alterations in dopaminergic functioning have been implicated in suicidal acts—particularly in adults—we do not know whether morphological alterations in dopamine-rich regions of the brain, such as the striatum, are vulnerability factors for the emergence of SI in adolescents. At baseline, a community sample of 152 adolescents (89 female; mean age: 11.41 ± 1.01 years) completed a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan that was used to estimate gray matter volumes (GMVs) of three striatal structures: caudate, nucleus accumbens and putamen. At a 24 month follow-up session, participants completed a self-report measure of SI frequency [Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire (SIQ)] and the death version of the Implicit Association Test (IAT). Robust linear regression models were conducted to predict SIQ and IAT scores from striatal GMV. Bilateral putamen and left caudate GMV significantly predicted IAT scores (all Ps < 0.03). No other associations were significant (all Ps > 0.05). Our finding of reduced dorsal striatal GMV predicting implicit SI may indicate that downstream dopaminergic dysfunction is implicated in the development of overt suicidal behaviors. Self-reported SI was not associated with striatal GMV, suggesting that biological correlates of suicide risk may correlate specifically with objective measurements of SI in adolescents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiffany C Ho
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Anna C Cichocki
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Anthony J Gifuni
- McGill University and Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | | | - Sarah J Ordaz
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Manpreet K Singh
- University of Pittsburgh, Center for Neuroscience, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Ian H Gotlib
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
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5
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Ye J, Cai S, Cheung WM, Tsang HWH. An East Meets West Approach to the Understanding of Emotion Dysregulation in Depression: From Perspective to Scientific Evidence. Front Psychol 2019; 10:574. [PMID: 30984060 PMCID: PMC6447656 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2018] [Accepted: 02/28/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Depression, an emotion regulation disorder, is a prevalent mental illness in the world. Meanwhile, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been increasingly regarded as a promising and effective alternative therapy approach for patients with depression. Despite many years of research on depression, the current understanding of the pathological mechanism of depression based on TCM theories is still in its infancy. Due to the lack of scientific evidence in the past, TCM is not fully recognized by researchers around the world. This review firstly summarizes the pathogenesis and etiology of depression in terms of both Eastern and Western medical systems. Secondly, it adopts an integrated Eastern and Western approach to propose some plausible neurophysiological pathways linking the liver, spleen, and heart functions explicated in TCM theory. The aim of this theoretical review is to bridge the knowledge gap between Eastern and Western medicine, which may better explain the pathology of depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiajia Ye
- Department of Rehabilitation Assessment, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine Subsidiary Rehabilitation Hospital, Fuzhou, China
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong, China
| | - Shuhe Cai
- Department of Orthopaedic Rehabilitation, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine Subsidiary Rehabilitation Hospital, Fuzhou, China
| | - Wai Ming Cheung
- Faculty of Education, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Hector W. H. Tsang
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong, China
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Papp M, Gruca P, Lason-Tyburkiewicz M, Litwa E, Niemczyk M, Tota-Glowczyk K, Willner P. Dopaminergic mechanisms in memory consolidation and antidepressant reversal of a chronic mild stress-induced cognitive impairment`. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2017; 234:2571-2585. [PMID: 28567697 PMCID: PMC5548836 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-017-4651-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2017] [Accepted: 05/12/2017] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Cognitive deficits in depression can be modelled using the novel object recognition (NOR) test, performance in which is impaired by chronic mild stress (CMS). We aimed to examine the involvement of mesocorticolimbic DA terminal regions, and to establish the substrate for CMS-induced impairment of NOR and its reversal by chronic antidepressant treatment. In experiments 1 and 2, we examined the effect of infusions into medial PFC, dorsal hippocampus (HPC), and nucleus accumbens (NAc) shell of D1 and D2 antagonists and D3 agonist, which were predicted to impair NOR with a short (1 h) delay, and of D1 and D2 agonists and D3 antagonist, which were predicted to facilitate NOR with a long (24 h) delay. Using optimal doses identified in experiment 2, in experiments 3 and 4, we examined effects on drug-stimulated NOR of CMS and chronic treatment with venlafaxine (VFX) or risperidone (RSP). We found a wide involvement of DA systems in memory for NOR: D1 receptors in PFC, HPC, and NAc; D3 receptors in PFC and HPC; and D2 receptors in PFC. CMS impaired D2- and D3-mediated effects in PFC and HPC; antidepressants rescued those effects in PFC but not HPC. The involvement of DA in NOR is multifaceted, but the effects of CMS and antidepressants are more discrete, involving D2 and D3 receptors in PFC specifically. While raising many difficult questions, these results suggest that the D2 and D3 receptors in the medial PFC may be an important substrate for cognitive deficits in depression and their remediation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariusz Papp
- Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 12 Smetna Street, 31-343, Krakow, Poland.
| | - Piotr Gruca
- Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 12 Smetna Street, 31-343, Krakow, Poland
| | | | - Ewa Litwa
- Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 12 Smetna Street, 31-343, Krakow, Poland
| | - Monika Niemczyk
- Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 12 Smetna Street, 31-343, Krakow, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Tota-Glowczyk
- Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 12 Smetna Street, 31-343, Krakow, Poland
| | - Paul Willner
- Department of Psychology, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
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Pytka K, Podkowa K, Rapacz A, Podkowa A, Żmudzka E, Olczyk A, Sapa J, Filipek B. The role of serotonergic, adrenergic and dopaminergic receptors in antidepressant-like effect. Pharmacol Rep 2015; 68:263-74. [PMID: 26922526 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharep.2015.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2015] [Revised: 07/29/2015] [Accepted: 08/12/2015] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Depression is a serious global illness, becoming more and more common in developed countries. Because of specific symptoms it is considered as a leading cause of disability all over the world with a high death factor due to suicides. There are many antidepressants used in the therapy, but still more than 30% of patients do not respond to the treatment. The heterogeneous nature of the illness and its complex, unclear aetiology may be responsible for these difficulties. Next to the main monoaminergic hypothesis of depression there are also many other approaches connected with the pathophysiology of the disease, including hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis dysregulation, dopaminergic, cholinergic, glutamatergic or GABA-ergic neurotransmission. Nevertheless, it can be unambiguously stated that serotonergic, noradrenergic and dopaminergic systems are precisely connected with pathogenesis of depression, and should be therefore considered as valuable targets in patients' treatment. Bearing that in mind, this review presents the role of serotonergic, adrenergic and dopaminergic receptors in antidepressant-like effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karolina Pytka
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kraków, Poland.
| | - Karolina Podkowa
- Department of Neurobiology, Institute of Pharmacology Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Poland
| | - Anna Rapacz
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kraków, Poland
| | - Adrian Podkowa
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kraków, Poland
| | - Elżbieta Żmudzka
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kraków, Poland
| | - Adrian Olczyk
- Institute of Automatic Control, Silesian University of Technology, Gliwice, Poland
| | - Jacek Sapa
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kraków, Poland
| | - Barbara Filipek
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kraków, Poland
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Li Z, He Y, Tang J, Zong X, Hu M, Chen X. Molecular imaging of striatal dopamine transporters in major depression--a meta-analysis. J Affect Disord 2015; 174:137-43. [PMID: 25497470 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2014.11.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2014] [Revised: 11/20/2014] [Accepted: 11/22/2014] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Increasing studies have revealed the dopamine transporter (DAT) availability altered in striatum associated with major depression. However, the results remain inconsistent. METHODS To assess the alteration of striatal DAT availability in major depression, we performed a meta-analysis based on 12 case-control molecular imaging studies, including a total of 209 depressed patients and 314 healthy controls. Hedges׳ g and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for striatal DAT availability in major depression compared with controls were estimated. RESULTS Our meta-analysis revealed no evidence for the alteration of striatal DAT availability in major depression (Hedges׳ g=0.09, CI 95% from -0.43 to 0.61, P=0.73). Meta-regression analyses suggested that there were no moderating effects for age, gender, year of publication, sample size, medication exposures and severity of depression on the hedges׳g values for striatal DAT availability. LIMITATIONS The results should be treated with caution because of the significant heterogeneity and the potential interference of confounding factors in this meta-analysis. CONCLUSIONS Our results showed no altered striatal DAT availability in major depression and indicated that striatal DAT may not implicated in the pathophysiology of major depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zongchang Li
- Institute of Mental Health, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; Institute of Genomic Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Ying He
- Institute of Mental Health, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Jinsong Tang
- Institute of Mental Health, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
| | - Xiaofen Zong
- Institute of Mental Health, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Maolin Hu
- Institute of Mental Health, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Xiaogang Chen
- Institute of Mental Health, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; Key Laboratory of Psychiatry and Mental Health of Hunan Province, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; The State Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; National Technology of Institute of Psychiatry, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
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Oquendo MA, Sullivan GM, Sudol K, Baca-Garcia E, Stanley BH, Sublette ME, Mann JJ. Toward a biosignature for suicide. Am J Psychiatry 2014; 171:1259-77. [PMID: 25263730 PMCID: PMC4356635 DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2014.14020194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 181] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Suicide, a major cause of death worldwide, has distinct biological underpinnings. The authors review and synthesize the research literature on biomarkers of suicide, with the aim of using the findings of these studies to develop a coherent model for the biological diathesis for suicide. METHOD The authors examined studies covering a large range of neurobiological systems implicated in suicide. They provide succinct descriptions of each system to provide a context for interpreting the meaning of findings in suicide. RESULTS Several lines of evidence implicate dysregulation in stress response systems, especially the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, as a diathesis for suicide. Additional findings related to neuroinflammatory indices, glutamatergic function, and neuronal plasticity at the cellular and circuitry level may reflect downstream effects of such dysregulation. Whether serotonergic abnormalities observed in individuals who have died by suicide are independent of stress response abnormalities is an unresolved question. CONCLUSIONS The most compelling biomarkers for suicide are linked to altered stress responses and their downstream effects, and to abnormalities in the serotonergic system. Studying these systems in parallel and in the same populations may elucidate the role of each and their interplay, possibly leading to identification of new treatment targets and biological predictors.
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Camardese G, Di Giuda D, Di Nicola M, Cocciolillo F, Giordano A, Janiri L, Guglielmo R. Imaging studies on dopamine transporter and depression: a review of literature and suggestions for future research. J Psychiatr Res 2014; 51:7-18. [PMID: 24433847 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2013.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2013] [Revised: 12/08/2013] [Accepted: 12/16/2013] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
We review the conflicting results from imaging studies of dopamine transporter availability in depressed patients and also discuss the heterogeneity of the variables involved. Major depression includes diverse clinical manifestations and in recent years there has been an increasing interest in the identification of homogeneous phenotypes and different clinical subtypes of depression, e.g. anhedonic depression, retarded depression, etc. In addition, the use of different radioligands and imaging techniques, diverse rating scales, together with the lack of control of clinical variables (clinical course, recent or past use of substances of abuse, etc.) make it difficult to clearly identify neuronal regions or networks with consistently abnormal structures or functions in major depressive disorder. It is probably necessary to build a shared approach between clinicians and researchers in order to identify standardized procedures to better understand the role of the dopamine transporter in depression. We outline a list of major issues and also suggest some standardized procedures in collecting clinical and imaging data on major depressed patients. Our aim is to delineate a possible "modus operandi" that would be a proposal for neuroreceptor studies on major depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Camardese
- Institute of Psychiatry, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, L.go A. Gemelli, 8, 00168 Rome, Italy.
| | - D Di Giuda
- Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, L.go A. Gemelli, 8, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - M Di Nicola
- Institute of Psychiatry, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, L.go A. Gemelli, 8, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - F Cocciolillo
- Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, L.go A. Gemelli, 8, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - A Giordano
- Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, L.go A. Gemelli, 8, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - L Janiri
- Institute of Psychiatry, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, L.go A. Gemelli, 8, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - R Guglielmo
- Institute of Psychiatry, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, L.go A. Gemelli, 8, 00168 Rome, Italy
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Abstract
Molecular imaging represents a bridge between basic and clinical neuroscience observations and provides many opportunities for translation and identifying mechanisms that may inform prevention and intervention strategies in late-life depression (LLD). Substantial advances in instrumentation and radiotracer chemistry have resulted in improved sensitivity and spatial resolution and the ability to study in vivo an increasing number of neurotransmitters, neuromodulators, and, importantly, neuropathological processes. Molecular brain imaging studies in LLD will be reviewed, with a primary focus on positron emission tomography. Future directions for the field of molecular imaging in LLD will be discussed, including integrating molecular imaging with genetic, neuropsychiatric, and cognitive outcomes and multimodality neuroimaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kentaro Hirao
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Geriatric Medicine, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Gwenn S. Smith
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
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12
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Savitz JB, Drevets WC. Neuroreceptor imaging in depression. Neurobiol Dis 2013; 52:49-65. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2012.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2011] [Revised: 05/21/2012] [Accepted: 06/02/2012] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
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Pae CU, Forbes A, Patkar AA. Aripiprazole as adjunctive therapy for patients with major depressive disorder: overview and implications of clinical trial data. CNS Drugs 2011; 25:109-27. [PMID: 21254788 DOI: 10.2165/11538980-000000000-00000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Aripiprazole was initially approved to treat schizophrenia and later approved for bipolar mania, as a monotherapy and an adjunctive therapy (manic or mixed episodes), and for irritability associated with autism. Aripiprazole is a partial agonist at dopamine D(2) and D(3) and serotonin 5-HT(1A) receptors, and is an antagonist at 5-HT(2A) receptors. This profile, and convincing preliminary data from small-scale studies, provided the rationale for the large-scale exploration of aripiprazole for unipolar depression. Recently, three 6-week, large-scale, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials demonstrated clinically meaningful efficacy for aripiprazole as an adjunctive therapy to antidepressants for treating major depressive disorder (MDD). In November 2007, aripiprazole was approved by the US FDA as an adjunctive therapy to antidepressants for treating MDD, with support from two of the above-mentioned trials. In the trials, aripiprazole was demonstrated to be safe and well tolerated, and showed a minimal trend for weight gain over the course of a 6-week treatment. The incidence of akathisia was higher than that reported in studies of patients with schizophrenia; however, most cases were mild to moderate and infrequently lead to discontinuation (5/1090 from all three trials). This comprehensive review provides an overview of the data from all three 6-week studies (including a pooled analysis) and from an unpublished 52-week, open-label extension study, to inform physicians and facilitate reasonable treatment decisions. In addition, specific issues associated with the use of aripiprazole as an adjunctive therapy in patients with MDD, including possible early treatment effect, appropriate timing of therapy initiation, appropriate dosing and duration of treatment, possible differential effect on depressive subgroups and long-term tolerability, are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi-Un Pae
- Department of Psychiatry, Bucheon St. Marys Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Bucheon, Kyounggi-Do, Republic of Korea.
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Abstract
In this review, we examine the history of the neurobiology of suicide, as well as the genetics, molecular and neurochemical findings in suicide research. Our analysis begins with a summary of family, twin, and adoption studies, which provide support for the investigation of genetic variation in suicide risk. This leads to an overview of neurochemical findings restricted to neurotransmitters and their receptors, including recent findings in whole genome gene expression studies. Next, we look at recent studies investigating lipid metabolism, cell signalling with a particular emphasis on growth factors, stress systems with a focus on the role of polyamines, and finally, glial cell pathology in suicide. We conclude with a description of new ideas to study the neurobiology of suicide, including subject-specific analysis, protein modification assessment, neuroarchitecture studies, and study design strategies to investigate the complex suicide phenotype.
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15
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Sequeira A, Mamdani F, Ernst C, Vawter MP, Bunney WE, Lebel V, Rehal S, Klempan T, Gratton A, Benkelfat C, Rouleau GA, Mechawar N, Turecki G. Global brain gene expression analysis links glutamatergic and GABAergic alterations to suicide and major depression. PLoS One 2009; 4:e6585. [PMID: 19668376 PMCID: PMC2719799 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0006585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 271] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2008] [Accepted: 05/04/2009] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Most studies investigating the neurobiology of depression and suicide have focused on the serotonergic system. While it seems clear that serotonergic alterations play a role in the pathogenesis of these major public health problems, dysfunction in additional neurotransmitter systems and other molecular alterations may also be implicated. Microarray expression studies are excellent screening tools to generate hypotheses about additional molecular processes that may be at play. In this study we investigated brain regions that are known to be implicated in the neurobiology of suicide and major depression are likely to represent valid global molecular alterations. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS We performed gene expression analysis using the HG-U133AB chipset in 17 cortical and subcortical brain regions from suicides with and without major depression and controls. Total mRNA for microarray analysis was obtained from 663 brain samples isolated from 39 male subjects, including 26 suicide cases and 13 controls diagnosed by means of psychological autopsies. Independent brain samples from 34 subjects and animal studies were used to control for the potential confounding effects of comorbidity with alcohol. Using a Gene Ontology analysis as our starting point, we identified molecular pathways that may be involved in depression and suicide, and performed follow-up analyses on these possible targets. Methodology included gene expression measures from microarrays, Gene Score Resampling for global ontological profiling, and semi-quantitative RT-PCR. We observed the highest number of suicide specific alterations in prefrontal cortical areas and hippocampus. Our results revealed alterations of synaptic neurotransmission and intracellular signaling. Among these, Glutamatergic (GLU) and GABAergic related genes were globally altered. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR results investigating expression of GLU and GABA receptor subunit genes were consistent with microarray data. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE The observed results represent the first overview of global expression changes in brains of suicide victims with and without major depression and suggest a global brain alteration of GLU and GABA receptor subunit genes in these conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adolfo Sequeira
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Firoza Mamdani
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Carl Ernst
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Marquis P. Vawter
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, School of Medicine, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, United States of America
| | - William E. Bunney
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, School of Medicine, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, United States of America
| | - Veronique Lebel
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Sonia Rehal
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Tim Klempan
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Alain Gratton
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Chawki Benkelfat
- Royal Victoria Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Guy A. Rouleau
- Ste Justine Hospital, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Naguib Mechawar
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Gustavo Turecki
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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Dopamine type-1 receptor binding in major depressive disorder assessed using positron emission tomography and [11C]NNC-112. Neuropsychopharmacology 2009; 34:1277-87. [PMID: 18946469 PMCID: PMC2656589 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2008.194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
The dopamine type-1 receptor has been implicated in major depressive disorder (MDD) by clinical and preclinical evidence from neuroimaging, post mortem, and behavioral studies. To date, however, selective in vivo assessment of D(1) receptors has been limited to the striatum in MDD samples manifesting anger attacks. We employed the PET radioligand, [(11)C]NNC-112, to selectively assess D(1) receptor binding in extrastriatal and striatal regions in a more generalized sample of MDD subjects. The [(11)C]NNC-112 nondisplaceable binding potential (BP(ND)) was assessed using PET in 18 unmedicated, currently depressed subjects with MDD and 19 healthy controls, and compared between groups using MRI-based region-of-interest analysis. The mean D(1) receptor BP(ND) was reduced (14%) in the left middle caudate of the MDD group relative to control group (p<0.05). Among the MDD subjects D(1) receptor BP(ND) in this region correlated negatively with illness duration (r=-0.53; p=0.02), and the left-to-right BP(ND) ratio correlated inversely with anhedonia ratings (r=-0.65, p=0.0040). The D(1) receptor BP(ND) was strongly lateralized in striatal regions (p<0.002 for main effects of hemisphere in accumbens area, putamen, and caudate). In post hoc analyses, a group-by-hemisphere-by-gender interaction was detected in the dorsal putamen, which was accounted for by a loss of the normal asymmetry in depressed women (F=7.33, p=0.01). These data extended a previous finding of decreased striatal D(1) receptor binding in an MDD sample manifesting anger attacks to a sample selected more generally according to MDD criteria. Our data also more specifically localized this abnormality in MDD to the left middle caudate, which is the target of afferent neural projections from the orbitofrontal and anterior cingulate cortices where neuropathological changes have been reported in MDD. Finally, D(1) receptor binding was asymmetrical across hemispheres in healthy humans, compatible with evidence that dopaminergic function in the striatum is lateralized during reward processing, voluntary movement, and self-stimulation behavior.
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Genetic NMDA receptor deficiency disrupts acute and chronic effects of cocaine but not amphetamine. Neuropsychopharmacology 2008; 33:2701-14. [PMID: 18185498 PMCID: PMC5698087 DOI: 10.1038/sj.npp.1301663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
NMDA receptor-mediated glutamate transmission is required for several forms of neuronal plasticity. Its role in the neuronal responses to addictive drugs is an ongoing subject of investigation. We report here that the acute locomotor-stimulating effect of cocaine is absent in NMDA receptor-deficient mice (NR1-KD). In contrast, their acute responses to amphetamine and to direct dopamine receptor agonists are not significantly altered. The striking attenuation of cocaine's acute effects is not likely explained by alterations in the dopaminergic system of NR1-KD mice, since most parameters of pre- and postsynaptic dopamine function are unchanged. Consistent with the behavioral findings, cocaine induces less c-Fos expression in the striatum of these mice, while amphetamine-induced c-Fos expression is intact. Furthermore, chronic cocaine-induced sensitization and conditioned place preference are attenuated and develop more slowly in mutant animals, but amphetamine's effects are not altered significantly. Our results highlight the importance of NMDA receptor-mediated glutamatergic transmission specifically in cocaine actions, and support a hypothesis that cocaine and amphetamine elicit their effects through differential actions on signaling pathways.
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Pae CU, Serretti A, Patkar AA, Masand PS. Aripiprazole in the treatment of depressive and anxiety disorders: a review of current evidence. CNS Drugs 2008; 22:367-88. [PMID: 18399707 DOI: 10.2165/00023210-200822050-00002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Despite the availability of different classes of drugs for the treatment of depressive and anxiety disorders, there are a number of clinically significant unmet needs, such as a high prevalence of treatment resistance, partial response, subsyndromal symptomatology, recurrence and relapse. With the approval of atypical antipsychotics, which are associated with a lower adverse effect burden than typical antipsychotics, consideration of their off-label use for the treatment of affective disorders and various other psychiatric disorders has become a viable option. However, consideration should be given to the US FDA black box warning indicating that atypical antipsychotics may increase mortality risk, particularly in the elderly population with dementia-related psychosis. There has been much conjecture about the utility of these atypical drugs to facilitate traditional antidepressant therapy, either in combination (from the initiation of therapy) or as adjunctive therapy (in the case of partial/incomplete response). Nevertheless, at present, available evidence from randomized, placebo-controlled trials is sparse, and a formal risk/benefit assessment of the use of these agents in a nonpsychotic patient population is not yet possible. As a representative agent from the atypical antipsychotic class with a novel mechanism of action and a relatively low adverse effect burden, aripiprazole represents an interesting potential treatment for depressive and anxiety disorders. In this review, we focus on the rationale for the use of aripiprazole in these disorders. Preclinical data suggests that aripiprazole has a number of possible mechanisms of action that may be important in the treatment of depressive and anxiety disorders. Such mechanisms include aripiprazole action at serotonin (5-HT) receptors as a 5-HT1A partial receptor agonist, a 5-HT2C partial receptor agonist and a 5-HT2A receptor antagonist. Aripiprazole also acts as a dopamine D2 partial receptor agonist, and has a possible action at adrenergic receptors. Furthermore, aripiprazole may have possible neuroprotective effects. Clinical studies demonstrate that aripiprazole may be useful in the treatment of bipolar depression, major depressive disorder, treatment-resistant depression and possibly anxiety disorders. Clinical data also suggest that aripiprazole may have a lower adverse effect burden than the other atypical drugs. Future research may confirm the potential utility of aripiprazole in the treatment of depressive and anxiety disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi-Un Pae
- Department of Psychiatry, Kangnam St Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
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Abstract
Suicidal behavior is partly heritable. Studies seeking the responsible candidate genes have examined genes involved in neurotransmitter systems shown to have altered function in suicide and attempted suicide. These neurotransmitter systems include the serotonergic, noradrenergic, and dopaminergic systems and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. With some exceptions, most notably the serotonin transporter gene promoter polymorphism (HTTLPR), replication of candidate gene association studies findings has been difficult. This article reviews current knowledge of specific gene effects and gene-environment interactions that influence risk for suicidal behavior. Effects of childhood stress on development and how it influences adult responses to current stress are shown to be relevant for mood disorders, aggressive/impulsive traits, and suicidal behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dianne Currier
- Division of Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, 1051 Riverside Drive, NYSPI Unit #42, New York, NY 10032, USA.
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Striatal dopamine D2 receptors in medication-naive patients with major depressive disorder as assessed with [11C]raclopride PET. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2008; 197:581-90. [PMID: 18251011 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-008-1088-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2007] [Accepted: 01/06/2008] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Among other monoamine neurotransmitters, dopamine is implicated in the pathophysiology of major depression. Experimental studies suggest the involvement of the mesolimbic dopamine system in the mechanism of action of antidepressant drugs. Previous in vivo imaging studies have studied striatal dopamine D2 receptor availability in depression but the results are equivocal thus far. OBJECTIVE To study the striatal and thalamic dopamine D2 receptor availability in drug-naive patients with major depression was the aim of this study. MATERIALS AND METHODS Caudate, putamen, and thalamic dopamine D2 receptor availability was estimated using positron emission tomography and [11C]raclopride in 25 treatment-seeking drug-free patients (of whom 24 were drug-naive) with major depression (primary care patients) as well as in 19 demographically similar healthy control subjects. Receptor availability was expressed as the binding potential (BP ND), and analyses were carried out based on both regional and voxel-level BP ND estimates. RESULTS No statistically significant differences in [11C]raclopride BP ND were observed between the groups either in the caudate nucleus (+1.7%, CI -4.8% to +8.3%), putamen (-1.0%, CI -7.2% to 5.1%), thalamus (-2.4%, CI -8.7% to 4.0%), or ventral striatum (-3.8%, CI -9.3% to +1.6%). In the patients, depressive symptoms were not associated with [11C]raclopride BP ND in any region. CONCLUSIONS The findings in this sample of treatment-seeking, drug-naive and predominantly first-episode patients with major depression do not support the involvement of striatal dopamine D2 receptors in the pathophysiology of the illness, but do not exclude the potential importance of dopaminergic mechanisms in antidepressant drug action.
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Bremner JD, McCaffery P. The neurobiology of retinoic acid in affective disorders. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2008; 32:315-31. [PMID: 17707566 PMCID: PMC2704911 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2007.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 121] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2006] [Revised: 07/02/2007] [Accepted: 07/02/2007] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Current models of affective disorders implicate alterations in norepinephrine, serotonin, dopamine, and CRF/cortisol; however treatments targeted at these neurotransmitters or hormones have led to imperfect resolution of symptoms, suggesting that the neurobiology of affective disorders is incompletely understood. Until now retinoids have not been considered as possible contributors to affective disorders. Retinoids represent a family of compounds derived from vitamin A that perform a large number of functions, many via the vitamin A product, retinoic acid. This signaling molecule binds to specific retinoic acid receptors in the brain which, like the glucocorticoid and thyroid hormone receptors, are part of the nuclear receptor superfamily and regulate gene transcription. Research in the field of retinoic acid in the CNS has focused on the developing brain, in part stimulated by the observation that isotretinoin (13-cis retinoic acid), an isomer of retinoic acid used in the treatment of acne, is highly teratogenic for the CNS. More recent work has suggested that retinoic acid may influence the adult brain; animal studies indicated that the administration of isotretinoin is associated with alterations in behavior as well as inhibition of neurogenesis in the hippocampus. Clinical evidence for an association between retinoids and depression includes case reports in the literature, studies of health care databases, and other sources. A preliminary PET study in human subjects showed that isotretinoin was associated with a decrease in orbitofrontal metabolism. Several studies have shown that the molecular components required for retinoic acid signaling are expressed in the adult brain; the overlap of brain areas implicated in retinoic acid function and stress and depression suggest that retinoids could play a role in affective disorders. This report reviews the evidence in this area and describes several systems that may be targets of retinoic acid and which contribute to the pathophysiology of depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Douglas Bremner
- Department of Psychiatry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30306, USA.
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22
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Montgomery AJ, Stokes P, Kitamura Y, Grasby PM. Extrastriatal D2 and striatal D2 receptors in depressive illness: pilot PET studies using [11C]FLB 457 and [11C]raclopride. J Affect Disord 2007; 101:113-22. [PMID: 17197036 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2006.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2006] [Revised: 10/31/2006] [Accepted: 11/01/2006] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Reduced dopaminergic function may occur in depressive disorders. In this paper the results of two pilot studies examining different aspects of the dopamine system in depression are presented. First, the binding of [(11)C]FLB 457 to extrastriatal D(2) receptors was measured in a group of depressed patients. Second, the hypothesis that selective serotonin reuptake inhibiting (SSRI) antidepressants affect the striatal binding of [(11)C]raclopride was tested. METHODS In the first study the binding of [(11)C]FLB 457 was compared between 7 people with depression and 7 healthy controls. In the second study the binding of [(11)C]raclopride to striatal D(2/3) receptors was compared between 8 people taking SSRI antidepressant medication and 8 healthy controls. RESULTS There was no difference in the binding of [(11)C]FLB 457 between the two groups. [(11)C]raclopride binding was reduced in the dorsal striatum of people taking antidepressants suggesting either that D(2/3) expression was reduced, or that dopamine release was increased, compared to untreated controls. LIMITATIONS The depressed patients were not severely depressed and were not matched for gender with controls. In the raclopride group the patients and controls were not matched by gender and were taking different SSRI antidepressants. CONCLUSION We found no support for the hypothesis that dopamine D(2) receptor expression is altered in extrastriatal brain regions in depression. SSRI antidepressants were associated with reduced [(11)C]raclopride binding in the dorsal striatum supporting the hypothesis that therapeutic effects of such drugs may, in part, be due to changes in the dopamine system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J Montgomery
- CSC-MRC Cyclotron Unit, Imperial College, Hammersmith Hospital, DuCane Rd., London, W12 0NN, UK.
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Jiao X, Paré WP, Tejani-Butt SM. Alcohol consumption alters dopamine transporter sites in Wistar–Kyoto rat brain. Brain Res 2006; 1073-1074:175-82. [PMID: 16457790 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2005.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2005] [Revised: 11/24/2005] [Accepted: 12/05/2005] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Even though animal and human studies show alterations in dopamine transporter (DAT) sites after alcohol withdrawal, the role of DAT in influencing either alcoholic or depressive behavior has not been examined extensively. Given that the Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rat is a putative animal model of depressive behavior, the present study examined the effects of chronic alcohol consumption on DAT sites in WKY versus Wistar (WIS) rats. Brains from both strains were sectioned for autoradiographic analysis of [3H]-GBR12935 binding to DAT sites after 24 days of alcohol exposure. The results indicated that WKY rats consumed a greater amount of alcohol (P < 0.001) than WIS rats did throughout the experiment. Autoradiographic analyses of discrete brain regions indicated that alcohol consumption increased DAT sites in a greater number of brain areas in WKY compared to WIS rats. In WKY rats, the binding of [3H]-GBR12935 to DAT sites was increased in the basolateral, central and lateral nuclei of the amygdala, lateral nucleus of the hypothalamus, olfactory tubercle, caudate-putamen, nucleus accumbens and substantia nigra (P < 0.05) and decreased in the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus and the CA1 region of the hippocampus. In WIS rats, alcohol consumption increased DAT sites in the CA1 region of the hippocampus, basolateral nucleus of the amygdala, ventral tegmental area and substantia nigra, and decreased DAT sites in the lateral and ventromedial hypothalamus and dentate gyrus. These results indicate a strain dependent alteration in DAT sites which may be related to altered dopamine neurotransmission in select brain regions following alcohol consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- X Jiao
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology (Box 118), University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, 600 South 43rd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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Basselin M, Chang L, Bell JM, Rapoport SI. Chronic lithium chloride administration to unanesthetized rats attenuates brain dopamine D2-like receptor-initiated signaling via arachidonic acid. Neuropsychopharmacology 2005; 30:1064-75. [PMID: 15812572 DOI: 10.1038/sj.npp.1300671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
We studied the effect of lithium chloride on dopaminergic neurotransmission via D2-like receptors coupled to phospholipase A2 (PLA2). In unanesthetized rats injected i.v. with radiolabeled arachidonic acid (AA, 20:4 n-6), regional PLA2 activation was imaged by measuring regional incorporation coefficients k* of AA (brain radioactivity divided by integrated plasma radioactivity) using quantitative autoradiography, following administration of the D2-like receptor agonist, quinpirole. In rats fed a control diet, quinpirole at 1 mg/kg i.v. increased k* for AA significantly in 17 regions with high densities of D2-like receptors, of 61 regions examined. Increases in k* were found in the prefrontal cortex, frontal cortex, accumbens nucleus, caudate-putamen, substantia nigra, and ventral tegmental area. Quinpirole, 0.25 mg/kg i.v. enhanced k* significantly only in the caudate-putamen. In rats fed LiCl for 6 weeks to produce a therapeutically relevant brain lithium concentration, neither 0.25 mg/kg nor 1 mg/kg quinpirole increased k* significantly in any region. Orofacial movements following quinpirole were modified but not abolished by LiCl feeding. The results suggest that downregulation by lithium of D2-like receptor signaling involving PLA2 and AA may contribute to lithium's therapeutic efficacy in bipolar disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mireille Basselin
- Brain Physiology and Metabolism Section, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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Willner P, Hale AS, Argyropoulos S. Dopaminergic mechanism of antidepressant action in depressed patients. J Affect Disord 2005; 86:37-45. [PMID: 15820269 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2004.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 117] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2004] [Revised: 12/06/2004] [Accepted: 12/08/2004] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Clinical studies have not yet determined a common mechanism of action for antidepressant drugs, which have primary sites of action on a variety of different neurotransmitter systems. However, a large body of evidence from animal studies demonstrates that sensitisation of D2-like dopamine receptors in the mesolimbic dopamine system may represent a 'final common pathway' in antidepressant action. The present study aimed to determine whether, consistent with data from animal studies, the clinical antidepressant action of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) is reversed by acute administration of a receptor antagonist selective for D2-like receptors in the mesolimbic dopamine system. The participants were patients diagnosed with major depressive disorder (n = 8) who had been treated successfully (Hamilton Depression Scale < 10) with selective serotonin uptake inhibitors (fluoxetine, citalopram or paroxetine); and age-matched, non-depressed, untreated volunteers (n = 10). They attended a psychiatric research ward on an out-patient basis, and received double-blind acute administration of either placebo, or a low dose of the selective dopamine D2/D3 receptor antagonist sulpiride (200 mg), in a counterbalanced order. Mood and psychomotor effects were assessed using visual analogue scales and the Fawcett-Clark Pleasure Capacity Scale. Sulpiride slightly improved subjective well-being in the control group, but in the antidepressant-treated patients, sulpiride caused a substantial reinstatement of depressed mood. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that sensitisation of D2-like receptors may be central to the clinical action of SSRIs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Willner
- Department of Psychology, University of Wales Swansea, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK.
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López León S, Croes EA, Sayed-Tabatabaei FA, Claes S, Van Broeckhoven C, van Duijn CM. The dopamine D4 receptor gene 48-base-pair-repeat polymorphism and mood disorders: a meta-analysis. Biol Psychiatry 2005; 57:999-1003. [PMID: 15860340 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2005.01.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2004] [Revised: 12/30/2004] [Accepted: 01/19/2005] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND We conducted a meta-analysis to re-evaluate the role of the dopamine D4 receptor gene 48-base-pair- repeat (DRD4) polymorphism in mood disorders. METHODS DRD4 allele frequencies were compared between 917 patients with unipolar (UP) or bipolar affective disorder (BP) and 1164 control subjects from 12 samples, using the Cochrane Review Manager. RESULTS An association was found between all mood disorder groups and DRD4.2. After correcting for multiple testing, the association between DRD4.2 and BP dropped to insignificance; however, the evidence of an association between the DRD4.2 allele and UP (p < .001) and the combined group (p < .001) remained. There was no evidence for heterogeneity or publication bias. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that the DRD4.2 allele is a risk allele for depression symptomatology. Meta-analysis may be a valuable objective tool for a quantitative summary of evidence for association studies in psychiatric genetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra López León
- Genetic Epidemiology Unit, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
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Roiser JP, McLean A, Ogilvie AD, Blackwell AD, Bamber DJ, Goodyer I, Jones PB, Sahakian BJ. The subjective and cognitive effects of acute phenylalanine and tyrosine depletion in patients recovered from depression. Neuropsychopharmacology 2005; 30:775-85. [PMID: 15688090 PMCID: PMC2631648 DOI: 10.1038/sj.npp.1300659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Although there is evidence for the involvement of dopamine (DA) in unipolar depression, no published study has yet used the technique of acute phenylalanine and tyrosine depletion (APTD), a dietary intervention that selectively lowers DA synthesis, in order to investigate the role of DA in mood disturbance. Tyrosine and phenylalanine depleted and placebo amino acid drinks were administered to 20 patients recovered from depression in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover design. Measures included subjective effects, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale scores, and a comprehensive battery of well-validated computerized cognitive tests. APTD induced a substantial reduction in the ratio of plasma tyrosine and phenylalanine to large neutral amino acids. However, relapse of depressive symptoms was not seen. Although performance on most cognitive tests was unaffected, there was a selective effect on decision-making, with APTD causing participants to bet significantly less. In conclusion, These results suggest a specific role for the involvement of DA in reward/punishment processing in humans. While APTD did not induce relapse in any participant, it did cause patients recovered from depression to show lowered sensitivity to reward in a gambling game. It is hypothesized that tests involving reward/punishment processing are preferentially affected by DA depletion, and that a more complete account of depression is likely to result from considering the roles played by serotonin, noradrenaline, and DA in mediating the various cognitive and clinical symptoms, including anhedonia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan P Roiser
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, UK
| | - Andrew McLean
- Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Glasgow, Gartnavel Royal Hospital, Glasgow, UK
| | - Alan D Ogilvie
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Andrew D Blackwell
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, UK
| | - Diane J Bamber
- Section of Developmental Psychiatry, Douglas House, Cambridge, UK
| | - Ian Goodyer
- Section of Developmental Psychiatry, Douglas House, Cambridge, UK
| | - Peter B Jones
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, UK
| | - Barbara J Sahakian
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, UK
- Correspondence: Professor BJ Sahakian, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Box 189, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 2QQ, UK, Tel: +44 1223 331209, Fax: +44 1223 336968, E-mail:
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Chapter IX Human forebrain dopamine systems: Characterization of the normal brain and in relation to psychiatric disorders. HANDBOOK OF CHEMICAL NEUROANATOMY 2005. [DOI: 10.1016/s0924-8196(05)80013-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
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Fredrickson P, Boules M, Yerbury S, Richelson E. Blockade of nicotine-induced locomotor sensitization by a novel neurotensin analog in rats. Eur J Pharmacol 2003; 458:111-8. [PMID: 12498914 DOI: 10.1016/s0014-2999(02)02689-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Neurotensin is a tridecapeptide with anatomic and functional relationships to dopaminergic neurons. Previously we showed that one of our brain-penetrating neurotensin analogs, NT69L (N-met-L-Arg, L-Lys, L-Pro, L-neo-Trp, L-tert-Leu, L-Leu), blocks cocaine- and D-amphetamine-induced hyperactivity in rats. We have now performed a similar study in rats sensitized to nicotine over 15 days of administration. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to receive daily injections for 15 days with one of the following combinations: saline/nicotine (0.35 mg/kg), NT69L (1 mg/kg)/nicotine, saline/saline, or NT69L/saline with a 30-min period between injections. On day 15 each group was given saline/nicotine or NT69L/nicotine and tested in an activity chamber. One-time administration of NT69L attenuated nicotine-induced activity with an ED(50) of 1.6 microg/kg. Rats injected with nicotine over the 15 days had a significant increase in locomotor activity, consistent with nicotine-induced locomotor sensitization. A single injection of NT69L on day 15 prior to nicotine markedly decreased nicotine-induced hyperactivity. Although daily injections of NT69L lessened its effect, statistically significant reductions in hyperactivity to nicotine persisted throughout the study. There was no significant difference in activity between rats injected with NT69L/saline and saline/saline. Thus, the activity reduction was not due to sedation. Acute and chronic nicotine injection caused an increase in cytisine binding in prefrontal cortex. NT69L significantly reduced the increase caused by acute but not chronic injection of nicotine. Nicotine injection resulted in an increase in dopamine levels in the striatum and dopamine and norepinephrine levels in the prefrontal cortex. NT69L lowered the norepinephrine and dopamine levels in the prefrontal cortex but did not affect striatal dopamine. The present study is the first report, to our knowledge, of a possible role for neurotensin in the development of nicotine dependence, and suggests that neurotensin analogs such as NT69L may be explored as treatment for nicotine and other psychostimulant abuse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Fredrickson
- Nicotine Dependence Center, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, and Mayo Clinic Jacksonville, 4500 San Pablo Road, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA
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30
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Rocc P, De Leo C, Eva C, Marchiaro L, Milani AM, Musso R, Ravizza L, Zanalda E, Bogetto F. Decrease of the D4 dopamine receptor messenger RNA expression in lymphocytes from patients with major depression. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2002; 26:1155-60. [PMID: 12452539 DOI: 10.1016/s0278-5846(02)00253-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The evaluation of the possible role of dopamine in psychiatric disorders has been limited by the relative inadequacy of tools. A tempting approach to examine alterations of dopaminergic system in major depression is to examine the expression of dopamine receptors in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). METHODS D4 dopamine receptor (D4DR) messenger RNA (mRNA) expression in PBMC from 12 patients with major depressive disorder was examined before and after an 8-week treatment with paroxetine at 20-50 mg/day. Ten healthy subjects were analyzed in parallel. The relative content of D4DR mRNA was determined by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). using beta-actin as internal standard. RESULTS D4DR mRNA levels were significantly decreased in untreated depressed patients as compared to controls. D4DR mRNA expression returned to control levels after paroxetine treatment, when patients achieved a significant improvement of depressive symptoms. CONCLUSIONS Results of our study suggest the role of PBMC D4DR mRNA expression as a peripheral marker of the central dopaminergic function in major depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Rocc
- Psychiatric Section, Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin, Via Cherasco 11, 10126 Turin, Italy.
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31
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Harro J, Oreland L. Depression as a spreading adjustment disorder of monoaminergic neurons: a case for primary implication of the locus coeruleus. BRAIN RESEARCH. BRAIN RESEARCH REVIEWS 2001; 38:79-128. [PMID: 11750928 DOI: 10.1016/s0165-0173(01)00082-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 114] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
A model for the pathophysiology of depression is discussed in the context of other existing theories. The classic monoamine theory of depression suggests that a deficit in monoamine neurotransmitters in the synaptic cleft is the primary cause of depression. More recent elaborations of the classic theory also implicitly include this postulate, other theories of depression frequently prefer to depart from the monoamine-based model altogether. We suggest that the primary defect emerges in the regulation of firing rates in brainstem monoaminergic neurons, which brings about a decrease in the tonic release of neurotransmitters in their projection areas, an increase in postsynaptic sensitivity, and concomitantly, exaggerated responses to acute increases in the presynaptic firing rate and transmitter release. It is proposed that the initial defect involves, in particular, the noradrenergic innervation from the locus coeruleus (LC). Dysregulation of the LC projection activities may lead in turn to dysregulation of serotonergic and dopaminergic neurotransmission. Failure of the LC function could explain the basic impairments in the processing of novel information, intensive processing of irrational beliefs, and anxiety. Concomitant impairments in the serotonergic neurotransmission may contribute to the mood changes and reduction in the mesotelencephalic dopaminergic activity to loss of motivation, and anhedonia. Dysregulation of CRF and other neuropeptides such as neuropeptide Y, galanin and substance P may reinforce the LC dysfunction and thus further weaken the adaptivity to stressful stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Harro
- Department of Psychology, University of Tartu, Tiigi 78, EE-50410 Tartu, Estonia.
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32
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Cyr M, Morissette M, Barden N, Beaulieu S, Rochford J, Di Paolo T. Dopaminergic activity in transgenic mice underexpressing glucocorticoid receptors: effect of antidepressants. Neuroscience 2001; 102:151-8. [PMID: 11226678 DOI: 10.1016/s0306-4522(00)00444-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Transgenic mice bearing a transgene coding for a glucocorticoid receptor antisense mRNA, which partially blocks glucocorticoid receptor expression, were used to investigate the long-term effect of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis dysfunction on brain dopamine transmission. Compared to control mice, the transgenic animals showed increased amphetamine-induced locomotor activity and increased concentrations of striatal dopamine and its metabolites dihydroxyphenylacetic acid and homovanillic acid. Binding of [3H]SCH 23390 and [3H]spiperone to, respectively, D1 and D2 dopamine receptors was increased in transgenic mice. In contrast, autoradiography of striatal [3H]GBR 12935 binding to the dopamine transporter was decreased and the mRNA levels of this transporter, measured by in situ hybridization, remained unchanged in the substantia nigra pars compacta. The effect of chronic treatment for two weeks with amitriptyline or fluoxetine was compared in control and transgenic mice. No significant changes were observed in control mice following antidepressant treatment, whereas in transgenic mice both antidepressants reduced striatal [3H]SCH 23390 and [3H]raclopride specific binding to D1 and D2 receptors. Amitriptyline, but not fluoxetine, increased striatal [3H]GBR 12935 binding to the dopamine transporter, whereas its mRNA level in the substantia nigra pars compacta was decreased in fluoxetine, compared to vehicle- or amitriptyline-treated transgenic mice. From these results we suggest that hyperactive dopaminergic activity of the nigrostriatal pathway controls motor activity in the transgenic mice. Furthermore, antidepressant treatment corrected the increased striatal D1 and D2 receptors and decreased dopamine transporter levels in the transgenic mice.
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MESH Headings
- Amitriptyline/pharmacology
- Animals
- Antidepressive Agents/pharmacology
- Binding Sites/drug effects
- Binding Sites/physiology
- Carrier Proteins/drug effects
- Carrier Proteins/genetics
- Carrier Proteins/metabolism
- Depression/metabolism
- Depression/physiopathology
- Disease Models, Animal
- Dopamine/metabolism
- Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins
- Female
- Fluoxetine/pharmacology
- Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System/metabolism
- Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System/physiopathology
- Male
- Membrane Glycoproteins
- Membrane Transport Proteins
- Mice
- Mice, Transgenic
- Motor Activity/drug effects
- Motor Activity/physiology
- Neostriatum/drug effects
- Neostriatum/metabolism
- Nerve Tissue Proteins
- Neurons/drug effects
- Neurons/metabolism
- Receptors, Dopamine D1/drug effects
- Receptors, Dopamine D1/metabolism
- Receptors, Dopamine D2/drug effects
- Receptors, Dopamine D2/metabolism
- Receptors, Glucocorticoid/drug effects
- Receptors, Glucocorticoid/genetics
- Receptors, Glucocorticoid/metabolism
- Stress, Physiological/metabolism
- Stress, Physiological/physiopathology
- Substantia Nigra/drug effects
- Substantia Nigra/metabolism
- Substantia Nigra/physiopathology
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Affiliation(s)
- M Cyr
- Molecular Endocrinology Research Center, CHUQ and Faculty of Pharmacy, Laval University, PQ, Quebec, Canada
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33
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Pitchot W, Reggers J, Pinto E, Hansenne M, Fuchs S, Pirard S, Ansseau M. Reduced dopaminergic activity in depressed suicides. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2001; 26:331-5. [PMID: 11166495 DOI: 10.1016/s0306-4530(00)00047-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Several data are available about the implication of the dopaminergic system in the control of inward-directed aggression. Previously, we suggested an involvement of D2-dopaminergic function in the expression of suicidal behavior by demonstrating a smaller growth hormone (GH) response to apomorphine, a dopaminergic agonist, in depressed patients with a history of suicide attempts in comparison to nonattempters. In the present study, the purpose was to analyze GH responses to apomorphine in depressive patients who later died by suicide. Our sample comprised eight male depressive inpatients who died by suicide within one year after hospitalisation. These patients were compared to 18 male major depressed inpatients who never attempted suicide. Mean GH peak responses to apomorphine differed significantly between suicide completers and controls (mean +/- SD): for GH peak, 7.6 +/- 4.1 ng/ml vs 18.9 +/- 14.2 ng/ml, U = 30, Z = -2.33, P = 0.02. Our results tend to confirm the role of dopamine in the biology of suicide in depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- W Pitchot
- Psychiatric Unit, CHU Sart Tilman, B-4000, Liège, Belgium.
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34
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Dowlatshahi D, Young LT. Molecular Abnormalities in Brains of Depressed Patients. Neuroscientist 2000. [DOI: 10.1177/107385840000600514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Studies on the molecular pharmacology of antidepressants have lead to a reinterpretation of earlier models of the neuropathology of depression. Noradrenergic and serotonergic hypotheses of depression have been expanded to include postsynaptic intracellular signal transduction pathways and regulation of gene expression. Because much of this evidence was obtained from postmortem brain, there has been increased interest in the use of this tissue to study depression. In the following pages, we will review the postmortem brain studies in depressed individuals focusing on neurotransmitter systems, signal transduction, and structural abnormalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dar Dowlatshahi
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster Mood Disorders Program, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - L. Trevor Young
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster Mood Disorders Program, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada,
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35
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Depressive Behavior and Alterations in Receptors for Dopamine and 5-Hydroxytryptamine in the Brain of the Senescence Accelerated Mouse (SAM)-P10. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2000. [DOI: 10.1016/s0021-5198(19)30566-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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36
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Calapai G, Crupi A, Firenzuoli F, Costantino G, Inferrera G, Campo GM, Caputi AP. Effects of Hypericum perforatum on levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine, noradrenaline and dopamine in the cortex, diencephalon and brainstem of the rat. J Pharm Pharmacol 1999; 51:723-8. [PMID: 10454050 DOI: 10.1211/0022357991772862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The plant Hypericum perforatum is used in folk medicine to treat several diseases and research attention has been recently focused on its antidepressant action. Hypericin and flavonoids are the most important constituents of the plant, but the exact role of these compounds in the effects of hypericum on mood disorders is not well known. We have investigated the contribution of these compounds to the antidepressant effects of hypericum. The effects of acute administration of hypericum extracts on levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), tryptophan, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), noradrenaline and dopamine in the cortex, diencephalon and brainstem was evaluated. The levels of these neurotransmitters were measured 1 h and 24 h after administration of two different extracts, one containing 0.3% hypericin and 6% flavonoids (Li 160; 25-500 mgkg(-1)), the other containing 0.3% hypericin and 50% flavonoids (Ph-50; 25-500 mgkg(-1)). Results from experiments performed on 5-HT turnover were compared with the effects of fluoxetine (10-80 mgkg(-1)). Li 160, Ph-50 and fluoxetine induced a significant increase in the 5-HT content of the cortex. In the diencephalon Ph-50, but not Li 160 or fluoxetine, elicited an increase in 5-HT and 5-HIAA levels. In the brainstem Ph-50 and fluoxetine caused an increase in 5-HT content; Li 160 did not change neurotransmitter content. Both Li 160 and Ph-50 caused increases of noradrenaline and dopamine in the diencephalon. In the brainstem only Ph-50 induced an increase in noradrenaline content. Our data confirm that acute administration of hypericum extracts modifies the levels of neurotransmitters involved in the pathophysiology of mood disorders. When the extracts contain a higher concentration of flavonoids the effects are more widespread and involve brain regions such as diencephalon and brainstem that are implicated in depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Calapai
- Institute of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Messina, Italy
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37
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Pallotta M, Segieth J, Whitton PS. Chronic clomipramine administration reverses NMDA-evoked decreases in dopamine release in the raphe nuclei. Brain Res 1999; 823:217-20. [PMID: 10095031 DOI: 10.1016/s0006-8993(99)01174-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The effect of acute or chronic treatment with the antidepressant clomipramine (CIM) on basal and N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) evoked release of dopamine (DA) in rat raphe has been studied using microdialysis. Acute injection of CIM (10 or 20 mg/kg) caused a decrease in raphe DA release, as did infusion of NMDA (25-100 microM) into this region. When NMDA infusion was preceded by a single acute injection of CIM no differences between NMDA and NMDA plus CIM treated groups was observed. Chronic (15 day) treatment with CIM caused a dose-dependent increase in basal extracellular DA. In addition the effect of infusing NMDA into the raphe on DA release was markedly reduced or abolished. This suggests that adaptive changes occur in NMDA receptor function during treatment with CIM.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Pallotta
- Istituti Di Farmacologia i Tossicologia, Facolta Di Medicina E Chirugia, Universita Degli Studi Di Napoli 'Frederico II', Via Constantinaopli 16, 80138, Naples, Italy
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38
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Pallotta M, Segieth J, Whitton PS. Chronic but not acute clomipramine alters the effect of NMDA receptor regulation of dopamine release in rat frontal cortex. Neurosci Lett 1999; 262:187-90. [PMID: 10218887 DOI: 10.1016/s0304-3940(99)00058-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
The effect of acute or chronic treatment with the antidepressant clomipramine (CIM) on N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) evoked release of dopamine (DA) in the frontal cortex of the rat has been studied using microdialysis. Acute injection of CIM (10 or 20 mg/kg) caused a decrease in dialysate DA in the frontal cortex. Infusion of 25-100 microM NMDA into the frontal cortex decreased DA release in this region. When NMDA infusion was preceded by a single injection of CIM no marked differences between NMDA and NMDA + CIM treated groups were observed. Chronic (15 day) treatment with CIM (10 or 20 mg/kg) caused a dose-dependent increase in basal extracellular DA. In these animals, however, the effects of infusion of NMDA on DA release in the cortex were greatly attenuated or abolished. This suggests that adaptive changes occur in NMDA receptor function during treatment with an antidepressant. The possible significance of this in the aetiology and treatment of depression is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Pallotta
- Istituti Di Farmacologia i Tossicologia, Facolta Di Medicina E Chirugia, Universita Degli Studi Di Napoli, Frederico II, Italy
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39
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García-Sevilla JA, Escribá PV, Ozaita A, La Harpe R, Walzer C, Eytan A, Guimón J. Up-regulation of immunolabeled alpha2A-adrenoceptors, Gi coupling proteins, and regulatory receptor kinases in the prefrontal cortex of depressed suicides. J Neurochem 1999; 72:282-91. [PMID: 9886080 DOI: 10.1046/j.1471-4159.1999.0720282.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Suicide and depression are associated with an increased density of alpha2-adrenoceptors (radioligand receptor binding) in specific regions of the human brain. The function of these inhibitory receptors involves various regulatory proteins (Gi coupling proteins and G protein-coupled receptor kinases, GRKs), which work in concert with the receptors. In this study we quantitated in parallel the levels of immunolabeled alpha2A-adrenoceptors and associated regulatory proteins in brains of suicide and depressed suicide victims. Specimens of the prefrontal cortex (Brodmann area 9) were collected from 51 suicide victims and 31 control subjects. Levels of alpha2A-adrenoceptors, Galphai1/2 proteins, and GRK 2/3 were assessed by immunoblotting techniques by using specific polyclonal antisera and the immunoreactive proteins were quantitated by densitometry. Increased levels of alpha2A-adrenoceptors (31-40%), Galphai1/2 proteins (42-63%), and membrane-associated GRK 2/3 (24-32%) were found in the prefrontal cortex of suicide victims and antidepressant-free depressed suicide victims. There were significant correlations between the levels of GRK 2/3 (dependent variable) and those of alpha2A-adrenoceptors and Galphai1/2 proteins (independent variables) in the same brain samples of suicide victims (r = 0.56, p = 0.008) and depressed suicide victims (r = 0.54, p = 0.041). Antemortem antidepressant treatment was associated with a significant reduction in the levels of Galphai1/2 proteins (32%), but with modest decreases in the levels of alpha2A-adrenoceptors (6%) and GRK 2/3 (18%) in brains of depressed suicide victims. The increased levels in concert of alpha2A-adrenoceptors, Galphai1/2 proteins, and GRK 2/3 in brains of depressed suicide victims support the existence of supersensitive alpha2A-adrenoceptors in subjects with major depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- J A García-Sevilla
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Switzerland
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40
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Bowden C, Cheetham SC, Lowther S, Katona CL, Crompton MR, Horton RW. Dopamine uptake sites, labelled with [3H]GBR12935, in brain samples from depressed suicides and controls. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 1997; 7:247-52. [PMID: 9443655 DOI: 10.1016/s0924-977x(97)00423-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
We have quantitated dopamine uptake sites, labelled with [3H]GBR12935, in caudate, putamen and nucleus accumbens of suicides with a retrospective diagnosis of depression, and age and gender-matched controls. Suicides were subdivided into those who had been free of antidepressant drugs for at least three months, and those in whom prescription of antidepressant drugs was clearly documented. We found no significant differences between controls and suicides overall, or when the suicides were divided on the basis of antidepressant treatment or violence of death. A significant negative correlation between the number of dopamine uptake sites and age was found in each region studied. Our results suggest dopamine uptake sites are not critically involved in depression or antidepressant drug action.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Bowden
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology, St. George's Hospital Medical School, London, UK
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41
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Bowden C, Cheetham SC, Lowther S, Katona CL, Crompton MR, Horton RW. Reduced dopamine turnover in the basal ganglia of depressed suicides. Brain Res 1997; 769:135-40. [PMID: 9374281 DOI: 10.1016/s0006-8993(97)00692-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
We have measured the concentrations of dopamine, and the dopamine metabolites homovanillic acid (HVA) and dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), in five brain regions from suicide victims with a firm retrospective diagnosis of depression, and matched controls. The suicides were divided into those free of antidepressant drugs and those in whom prescription of antidepressant drugs was clearly documented. DOPAC concentrations were significantly lower in caudate, putamen and nucleus accumbens of antidepressant-free suicides compared to controls. In antidepressant-treated suicides, lower concentrations of DOPAC were observed in the basal ganglia, reaching statistical significance in caudate. Lower DOPAC concentrations were largely restricted to those suicides who died by non-violent methods. There were no significant differences in dopamine and HVA concentrations in either suicide group compared to controls, although there was a trend for HVA concentrations to be lower in suicides. This study provides evidence for reduced dopamine turnover, as judged from reduced DOPAC levels, in depressed suicides, although we cannot exclude the possibility that this may be due to ingestion of toxic agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Bowden
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology, St. George's Hospital Medical School, London, UK
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