[Hormones in depressive illness. The role of cortisol and sexual steroids (author's transl)].
It is actually highly probable than depression is linked to a decrease in noradrenergic activity in brain, at least in some areas including hypothalamus. The complexity of relations between dopaminergic and serotoninergic systems lead to multiple possibilities in hypothetical etiologic factors and in therapeutic interventions. A plasmatic drop in testosterone in men and estradiol in women is one of the situation able to induce a decrease in noradrenergic activity. It seems to be of primordial influence on depression at least in patients with predominant clinical hypogonadic symptoms. We still don't know the frequency on hypogonadism in peoples with predominant depressive symptoms. However this incidence may be fairly high because it is now demonstrated than environmental stress could impaired testicular and ovarian function by the means of anxiety hormones, catecholamines and cortisol, and also by a direct effect on hypothalamus. In no case this hormonal reactions are adaptative by means of anti-anxiety or anti-depressive effects. In contrary, they contribute to maintain the psycho-endocrine syndrome.
D000374:Aggression; D001007:Anxiety; D003863:Depression / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood*; D004967:Estrogens / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008598:Menstruation; D008995:Monoamine Oxidase / Q000097:blood; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood* / Q000627:therapeutic use
D004967:Estrogens; D013739:Testosterone; D004958:Estradiol; D008995:Monoamine Oxidase; D006854:Hydrocortisone
Endocrinologie de la dépression. Rôle du cortisol et des hormones sexuelles.