title: Mononuclear leukocyte levels of G proteins in depressed patients with bipolar disorder or major depressive disorder.
abstract: Stimulatory (Gs) and inhibitory (G(i)) guanine nucleotide binding protein alpha subunit levels were measured in mononuclear leukocytes from 22 drug-free depressed patients (eight with bipolar disorder, 14 with major depressive disorder) and a comparison group of 17 age- and sex-matched healthy subjects. The levels of Gs alpha and G(i) alpha were significantly higher (160% and 114%, respectively) in the bipolar patients, but not the patients with major depressive disorder, than in the healthy subjects. These data add to the evidence for abnormalities in G protein levels and function in the pathophysiology of bipolar disorder.
authors.affiliation: Section of Biochemical Psychiatry, Clarke Institute of Psychiatry, Toronto, Ont., Canada.
authors.forename: L T
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Young
authors.forename: P P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kamble
authors.forename: K P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Siu
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Warsh
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000737:chemistry*; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins