Abstract
Low levels of the intracellular mediator of glutamate receptor activation, neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) were previously observed in locus coeruleus (LC) from subjects diagnosed with major depression. This finding implicates abnormalities in glutamate signaling in depression. Receptors responding to glutamate in the LC include ionotropic N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs). The functional NMDAR is a hetero-oligomeric structure composed of NR1 and NR2 (A–D) subunits. Tissue containing the LC and a nonlimbic LC projection area (cerebellum) was obtained from 13 and 9 matched pairs, respectively, of depressed subjects and control subjects lacking major psychiatric diagnoses. NMDAR subunit composition in the LC was evaluated in a psychiatrically normal subject. NR1 and NR2C subunit immunoreactivities in LC homogenates showed prominent bands at 120 and 135 kDa, respectively. In contrast to NR1 and NR2C, very weak immunoreactivity of NR2A and NR2B subunits was observed in the LC. Possible changes in concentrations of NR1 and NR2C that might occur in depression were assessed in the LC and cerebellum. The overall amount of NR1 immunoreactivity was normal in the LC and cerebellum in depressed subjects. Amounts of NR2C protein were significantly higher (+61%, p=0.003) in the LC and modestly, but not significantly, elevated in the cerebellum (+35%) of depressives as compared to matched controls. Higher levels of NR2C subunit implicate altered glutamatergic input to the LC in depressive disorders.
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Acknowledgements
We gratefully acknowledge Drs Katalin Szebeni and Maria Soledad Romero for technical assistance in the tissue punching and preparation of proteins for assays. We gratefully acknowledge the work of James C Overholser, PhD, Herbert Y Meltzer, MD, Bryan L Roth, MD, PhD, George Jurjus, MD, Ginny Dilley, Lisa Konick, and Lesa Dieter in the retrospective psychiatric diagnoses. The excellent assistance of the Cuyahoga County Coroner's Office, Cleveland, OH, is greatly appreciated. This work was supported by MH63187, MH46692, MH/AG02031, and RR017701.
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Karolewicz, B., Stockmeier, C. & Ordway, G. Elevated Levels of the NR2C Subunit of the NMDA Receptor in the Locus Coeruleus in Depression. Neuropsychopharmacol 30, 1557–1567 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.npp.1300781
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.npp.1300781
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