Citation

De Paermentier F, Cheetham SC, Crompton MR, Katona CL, Horton RW. Brain Res. 1990; 525(1): 71-77.

Affiliation

Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology, St. George's Hospital Medical School, London, U.K.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1990, International Brain Research Organization, Publisher Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

2173963

Abstract

beta-Adrenoceptor binding sites were quantitated by saturation binding of 3H.CGP 12177 in 9 brain regions from 21 suicide victims, with a firm retrospective diagnosis of depression, who had not recently received antidepressant drugs, and 20 age- and sex-matched controls. In depressed suicides the number of total beta-adrenoceptors was significantly lower in temporal cortex (Brodmann area 38, by 19%) and beta 1-adrenoceptors (Brodmann area 21/22, by 17%) compared to controls. Suicides who died by violent means had significantly lower numbers of total beta- and beta 1-adrenoceptors in frontal cortex than matched controls (by 23 and 25%, respectively) and than non-violent suicides (by 20 and 22%, respectively) and lower numbers of beta 1-adrenoceptors in temporal cortex (Brodmann area 21/22) than matched controls (by 16%). Depressed suicides who died by non-violent means had lower numbers of total beta-adrenoceptors in occipital cortex than matched controls (by 24%) and than violent suicides (by 18%), and lower numbers of total beta- and beta 1-adrenoceptors in temporal cortex (Brodmann area 38) than matched controls (by 27 and 24%, respectively). Depression in suicide victims is associated with deficits in beta-adrenoceptor binding sites, largely restricted to cortical areas.

Language: en