Abstract
Background: The cAMP signaling pathway, and its downstream neurotrophic factor BDNF,
are major targets of antidepressant medications. Abnormalities in this pathway have
previously been reported in postmortem brain of subjects with mood disorders. This
study was designed to test whether the diagnosis of a mood disorder, or treatment
with an antidepressant or mood stabilizer was associated with changes in hippocampal
BDNF in postmortem brain
Methods: Frozen postmortem anterior hippocampus sections were obtained from the Stanley
Foundation Neuropathology Consortium. Tissue from subjects with major depression,
bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and nonpsychiatric control subjects were stained for
BDNF using immunohistochemistry
Results: Increased BDNF expression was found in dentate gyrus, hilus and supragranular
regions in subjects treated with antidepressant medications at the time of death,
compared with antidepressant-untreated subjects. Furthermore, there was a trend toward
increased BDNF expression in hilar and supragranular regions in depressed subjects
treated with antidepressants, compared with the subjects not on these medications
at the time of death
Conclusions: These findings are consistent with recent studies measuring CREB levels
in this same subject sample, and support current animal and cellular models of antidepressant
function.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
January 4,
2001
Received in revised form:
December 27,
2000
Received:
September 29,
2000
Identification
Copyright
© 2001 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
