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Related Experiment Videos

Glucocorticoid receptors and depression.

L J Whalley, N Borthwick, D Copolov

    British Medical Journal (Clinical Research Ed.)
    |March 29, 1986
    PubMed
    Summary

    Depressed patients have fewer glucocorticoid receptors in lymphocytes compared to controls and schizophrenia patients. This may explain why they don't show cortisol excess symptoms despite high cortisol levels.

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    Area of Science:

    • Neuroendocrinology
    • Psychiatry
    • Cellular Biology

    Background:

    • Glucocorticoid receptors (GR) play a crucial role in the stress response.
    • Altered GR function is implicated in mood disorders and schizophrenia.
    • Hypercortisolaemia is common in depression, yet clinical signs of cortisol excess are often absent.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To investigate glucocorticoid receptor (GR) site numbers and plasma cortisol levels in depressed patients, schizophrenia patients, and healthy controls.
    • To explore the relationship between GR levels and cortisol concentrations in these groups.
    • To understand the potential mechanisms behind the lack of cortisol excess symptoms in depressed individuals.

    Main Methods:

    • Quantification of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) sites in lymphocytes.
    • Measurement of plasma cortisol concentrations.
    • Comparison of GR levels and cortisol concentrations across depressed patients, chronic schizophrenia patients, and healthy controls.

    Main Results:

    • Significantly lower numbers of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) sites were found in lymphocytes of depressed patients compared to controls and schizophrenia patients.
    • No significant differences were observed in the dissociation constants of GR or plasma cortisol concentrations among the groups.
    • A slight diurnal variation in GR numbers was detected in healthy controls.

    Conclusions:

    • Reduced numbers of lymphocyte glucocorticoid receptors (GR) in depressed patients may account for their lack of clinical features associated with hypercortisolaemia.
    • Lymphocyte GR levels represent a potential biomarker for understanding the neuroendocrine aspects of depression.
    • Further research is warranted to elucidate the precise role of GR in the pathophysiology of depression and schizophrenia.

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