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

Noradrenergic function and the dexamethasone suppression test in depression.

S Morinobu1, H Satoh, M Endoh

  • 1Department of Neuropsychiatry, Yamagata University School of Medicine, Japan.

The Japanese Journal of Psychiatry and Neurology
|December 1, 1987
PubMed
Summary

Major depression patients show a link between central noradrenergic system function and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Higher depression scores correlated with lower and higher plasma free 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG) levels.

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

Steal phenomenon in a traumatic carotid-cavernous fistula.

The Journal of trauma·1995
Same author

Purification, characterization, and cloning of a heme-binding protein (23 kDa) in rat liver cytosol.

Biochemistry·1995
Same author

Expression of the mRNA of heme-binding protein 23 is coordinated with that of heme oxygenase-1 by heme and heavy metals in primary rat hepatocytes and hepatoma cells.

Biochemistry·1995
Same author

Determination of humanized anti-Tac in human serum by a sandwich enzyme linked immunosorbent assay.

Journal of immunological methods·1995
Same author

Identification of a hyperpolarization-activated inward current in uterine smooth muscle cells during pregnancy.

General pharmacology·1995
Same author

Studies on differentiation inducers. V. Steroid glycosides from periplocae radicis cortex.

Chemical & pharmaceutical bulletin·1995

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Psychiatry
  • Endocrinology

Background:

  • Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a complex mood disorder.
  • Abnormalities in central noradrenergic systems and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis are implicated in MDD.
  • Plasma free 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG) is a metabolite of norepinephrine, reflecting central noradrenergic activity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between plasma free MHPG levels and HPA axis function in patients with major depression.
  • To explore correlations between MHPG levels, cortisol response to dexamethasone, and depression severity.

Main Methods:

  • Measured plasma free MHPG and serum cortisol levels before and after dexamethasone administration in MDD patients and healthy controls.
  • Assessed depression severity using the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D).

Related Experiment Videos

  • Analyzed correlations between MHPG, cortisol, and HAM-D scores.

    • Main Results:

    • No significant difference in baseline plasma free MHPG levels between MDD patients and controls.
    • A significant positive correlation was found between plasma MHPG levels and postdexamethasone cortisol levels in MDD patients.
    • Higher HAM-D scores were observed in groups with the lowest (MHPG < 5 ng/ml) and highest (MHPG ≥ 10 ng/ml) MHPG levels compared to the intermediate group (5 ≤ MHPG < 10 ng/ml).

    Conclusions:

    • Findings suggest a relationship between central noradrenergic system dysfunction and HPA axis dysregulation in major depression.
    • MHPG levels may be associated with the severity of depressive symptoms, potentially indicating distinct neurobiological subtypes of MDD.