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Examination of glucose transporter‐1, transforming growth factor‐β and neuroglobin immunoreactivity in the orbitofrontal cortex in late‐life depression
Author(s) -
Khundakar Ahmad,
Morris Christopher,
Slade Janet,
Thomas Alan J.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
psychiatry and clinical neurosciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.609
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1440-1819
pISSN - 1323-1316
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1819.2010.02176.x
Subject(s) - orbitofrontal cortex , neuroglobin , depression (economics) , glucose transporter , neuroscience , medicine , psychology , endocrinology , hemoglobin , prefrontal cortex , cognition , insulin , globin , economics , macroeconomics
Aims: This study immunohistochemically examined the orbitofrontal cortex for three possible candidates in hypoxic/ischemic signaling: the cytokine transforming growth factor‐β, the glucose transporter‐1 and the neuron‐specific oxygen‐binding protein neuroglobin. Methods: Post‐mortem tissue from 20 depressed and 20 non‐depressed individuals was obtained and the expression of the three proteins was analyzed using image analysis software. Results: No significant changes were found in transforming growth factor‐β or neuroglobin in the orbitofrontal cortex between depressed and non‐depressed individuals. There was, however, a trend towards a reduction in glucose transporter‐1 in the depressed group. Conclusions: This study does not clearly support the hypothesis that hypoxic/ischemic processes are behind the pathological deficits in the frontal‐subcortical circuitry associated with depression and therefore does not provide evidence to support the ‘vascular depression’ hypothesis.