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Does platelet serotonin receptor supersensitivity accompany endogenous depression?
O S Brusov1, B S Beliaev, A B Katasonov
1Institute of Clinical Psychiatry, All-Union Center for Mental Health of the Academy of Medical Science, Moscow, U.S.S.R.
Biological Psychiatry
|February 15, 1989
Summary
Women with depression show lower platelet serotonin levels, which normalize after antidepressant treatment. This suggests serotonin receptor responsiveness changes in mood disorders.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Serotonin plays a crucial role in mood regulation.
- Altered serotonin signaling is implicated in bipolar and unipolar depression.
- Platelets offer a model system to study serotonin dynamics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate platelet serotonin concentration in women with depression.
- To examine the effect of antidepressant treatment on platelet serotonin levels.
Main Methods:
- Assessed serotonin-induced platelet shape change velocity in drug-free depressed women and controls.
- Measured changes in platelet serotonin concentration after 1-3 months of antidepressant therapy.
Main Results:
- Significantly lower platelet serotonin concentration (0.13 microM) in depressed women compared to controls (0.532 microM).
- Platelet serotonin concentration increased significantly (0.47 microM) after antidepressant treatment.
Conclusions:
- Depression is associated with reduced platelet serotonin responsiveness.
- Antidepressant treatment appears to restore normal serotonin receptor sensitivity in platelets.
- These findings may offer insights into the neurobiological mechanisms of depression.