Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Alpha-2-adrenoreceptor binding as a possible vulnerability marker for affective disorders.

J Mendlewicz1, D Hirsch, S Sevy

  • 1Department of Psychiatry, Erasme Hospital, Free University of Brussels, Belgium.

Neuropsychobiology
|January 1, 1989
PubMed
Summary

Platelet alpha 2-adrenoreceptor density (Bmax) was lower in major depressed illness patients and their relatives compared to controls. This suggests a potential genetic vulnerability marker for affective disorders.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Primary and secondary metastatic dissemination: multiple routes to cancer-related death.

Molecular cancer·2025
Same author

Clinical Significance of Arthroscopic Debridement, Trapeziectomy, and Joint Replacement for Basilar Thumb Joint Arthritis: A Meta-analysis of Pain Score Improvements.

Acta orthopaedica Belgica·2024
Same author

Features of patients and fracture risk in hypoparathyroidism; a single center study.

Journal of endocrinological investigation·2023
Same author

Anatomically curated segmentation of human subcortical structures in high resolution magnetic resonance imaging: An open science approach.

Frontiers in neuroanatomy·2022
Same author

[Colorectal tumor evolution in inflammatory bowel disease : Dynamics of genomic alterations and potential molecular markers to predict malignant progression].

Der Pathologe·2019
Same author

[Crohn's disease-associated colorectal carcinogenesis : TP53 mutations and copy number gains of chromosome arm 5p as (early) markers of tumor progression].

Der Pathologe·2018

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Psychiatry
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a complex psychiatric condition with potential biological underpinnings.
  • Alpha 2-adrenoreceptors play a role in neurotransmission and have been implicated in mood regulation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate alpha 2-adrenoreceptor affinity and density in individuals with major depressed illness and their first-degree relatives.
  • To determine if platelet alpha 2-adrenoreceptor parameters serve as a potential vulnerability marker for affective disorders.

Main Methods:

  • Radioligand binding assay using 3H-yohimbine, an alpha 2 selective antagonist.
  • Quantification of alpha 2-adrenoreceptor density (Bmax) and affinity (Kd) in platelet membranes.
  • Comparison of receptor parameters across patient groups (affected, affected relatives, unaffected relatives) and healthy controls.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • Significantly lower mean Bmax values for alpha 2-adrenoreceptors were observed in affected subjects (probands and relatives) compared to controls.
  • No significant differences in Kd values were found between affected subjects and controls.
  • A familial aggregation of Bmax values was noted, suggesting a genetic influence on alpha-receptor density.

Conclusions:

  • Reduced platelet alpha 2-adrenoreceptor density may represent a potential vulnerability marker for affective disorders.
  • Genetic factors likely influence alpha 2-adrenoreceptor density, contributing to susceptibility to depression.
  • 3H-yohimbine binding assays on human platelets offer a viable method for assessing this potential marker.