Increased? 2;-adrenoceptor density in the frontal cortex of depressed suicide victims

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The density of brainα 2-adrenoceptors, quantitated by means of the binding of the agonist [3H]clonidine, was studied in post-mortem cortical membranes of matched control subjects and depressed suicide victims. In the depressed suicide group, the specific high affinity binding of [3H]clonidine was found to be significantly increased (Bmax, 72% greater; pD value for the radioligand. These preliminary results indicate thatα 2-adrenoceptor density in the high affinity stateα 2H) is increased in the brain of depressed patients and add strong support to the hypothesis that endogenous depression is related to supersensitiveα 2-adrenoceptors.