Increased cerebrospinal fluid glutamine levels in depressed patients.
BACKGROUND
There is increasing evidence for an association between alterations of brain glutamatergic neurotransmission and the pathophysiology of affective disorders.


METHODS
We studied the association between cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) metabolites, including glutamine, in unipolar and bipolar depressed patients versus control subjects using a proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy technique. Cerebrospinal fluid samples were obtained from 18 hospitalized patients with acute unmedicated severe depression without medical problems and compared with those of 22 control subjects.


RESULTS
Compared with the control group, the depressed patient group had significantly higher CSF glutamine concentrations, which correlated positively with CSF magnesium levels.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest an abnormality of the brain glial-neuronal glutamine/glutamate cycle associated with N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor systems in patients with depression.
Levine
J
J
Neurophysics Laboratory, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, USA.
Panchalingam
K
K
Rapoport
A
A
Gershon
S
S
McClure
R J
RJ
Pettegrew
J W
JW
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003401:Creatine / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005973:Glutamine / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D006885:Hydroxybutyrates / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D008274:Magnesium / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012737:Sex Factors
D006885:Hydroxybutyrates; D005973:Glutamine; D008274:Magnesium; D003401:Creatine