Quantitative distribution of monoamine oxidase A in brainstem monoamine nuclei is normal in major depression

An abnormal expression of noradrenergic proteins (e.g., tyrosine hydroxylase, norepinephrine transporters) in the locus coeruleus has recently been demonstrated in subjects with major depression and/or victims of suicide. Monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A) is a key enzyme in the catabolism of biogenic amin...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Brain research 1999-11, Vol.847 (1), p.71-79
Main Authors: Ordway, Gregory A, Farley, Joshua T, Dilley, Ginny E, Overholser, James C, Meltzer, Herbert Y, Balraj, Elizabeth K, Stockmeier, Craig A, Klimek, Violetta
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Adult and adolescent clinical studies
Aged
Biogenic Monoamines - metabolism
Biological and medical sciences
Brain Stem - enzymology
Brain Stem - pathology
Depression
Depressive Disorder - metabolism
Female
Human
Humans
Locus coeruleus
Locus Coeruleus - enzymology
Locus Coeruleus - pathology
Male
Medical sciences
Middle Aged
Monoamine Oxidase - metabolism
Monoamine oxidase A
Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors - pharmacology
Mood disorders
neuromelanin
Postmortem
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychopathology. Psychiatry
Radioligand Assay
Raphe
Raphe Nuclei - enzymology
Raphe Nuclei - pathology
Thiazoles - pharmacology
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Summary:An abnormal expression of noradrenergic proteins (e.g., tyrosine hydroxylase, norepinephrine transporters) in the locus coeruleus has recently been demonstrated in subjects with major depression and/or victims of suicide. Monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A) is a key enzyme in the catabolism of biogenic amines and is expressed in brain noradrenergic neurons. In this study, the binding of [ 3 H ]Ro41-1049 to MAO-A was measured by quantitative autoradiography at multiple levels along the rostral–caudal axis of the noradrenergic locus coeruleus from subjects with major depression and age- and postmortem interval-matched control subjects who were psychiatrically normal. [ 3 H ]Ro41-1049 binding to MAO-A was unevenly distributed along the axis of the locus coeruleus, paralleling an uneven number of neuromelanin-containing (noradrenergic) neurons throughout the nucleus. Accordingly, there was a significant correlation between the number of neuromelanin-containing neurons per section and the specific binding of [ 3 H ]Ro41-1049 at any particular level of the locus coeruleus in control subjects ( r 2=0.25; p
ISSN:0006-8993
1872-6240
DOI:10.1016/S0006-8993(99)02043-0