Estimation of corticosteroids in human cerebral cortex after death by suicide, accident, or disease

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Abstract
SYNOPSIS The concentration of cortisol (F) has been found to decrease only to a limited extent in intact brain tissue maintained at ambient temperature after death, and the decrease is mainly accounted for as 20-dihydrocortisols (DHF). The sum of F and DHF has therefore been estimated in samples of frontal cortex removed from human cadaver brains collected at necropsy, and taken as a measure of the concentration of cortisol at death. Corticosterone concentration was also estimated. The concentration of cortisol in the cerebral cortex of physically healthy individuals who had committed suicide was consistently as low or lower than in the cortex of control patients who had died suddenly without antecedent severe illness. It is concluded therefore that neither the presumed severe emotional stress preceding suicide nor depressive illness itself is associated with high levels of cortisol in the cerebral cortex. On the other hand, it was found that the cerebral cortical concentration of cortisol in patients who had died from stressful somatic diseases was raised and that the increase was roughly related to the likely degree and duration of the physical stress endured by the patients. There was some indication that the ratio of cortisol (F+DHF) to corticosterone may be lower in the cerebral cortex of suicides than in that of controls.