title: Differential expression of pentraxin 3 in fibroblasts from patients with major depression.
abstract: In this study, differential display technology was used to compare gene expression in cultured fibroblasts from patients with major depression, melancholic subtype vs nonmelancholic depressives and normal volunteer controls. Genes differentially expressed in depressives and normals included an overexpressed 269 bp sequence tag showing approximately 95% identity with the Homo sapiens long pentraxin 3 (PTX3) gene sequence in the 3' noncoding region. The 269 bp complimentary DNA probe hybridized with the 1.9 kb PTX3 mRNA. The densitometric analysis of slot blots showed that the mean steady-state mRNA level of PTX3 was 3.5-fold higher in the melancholic group as compared to that in normal controls and in nonmelancholic depressives (n=8, all groups). Incubation experiments were then conducted: confluent fibroblasts from melancholics and normal volunteers were incubated with isoproterenol 1 microM, dexamethasone (DEX) 500 nM, and interleukin 1beta (IL-1beta) 50 ng/ml, for 0, 0.5, 1, 4, and 24 h. mRNA was isolated and quantitated using Northern blot analysis. Isoproterenol produced no significant change in PTX3 expression; DEX produced a significant increase at 4 and 24 h; IL-1beta induced an increase in both the groups that peaked at 4 h, declining to near basal levels at 24 h. There were no differences between melancholics or controls in mean change or maximum response with either DEX or IL-1beta. The results are consistent with the reported effects of IL-1beta on PTX3 expression in mouse brain. The results are of potential importance because PTX3 is a member of the long pentraxin subfamily of acute-phase proteins, which is inducible by IL-1beta, and may play roles in neuroimmunity and neuroprotection.
authors: Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37211, USA. richard.shelton@vanderbilt.edu
authors: Richard C
authors: RC
authors: Shelton
authors: Shan
authors: S
authors: Liang
authors: Peng
authors: P
authors: Liang
authors: Amitabha
authors: A
authors: Chakrabarti
authors: D Hal
authors: DH
authors: Manier
authors: Fridolin
authors: F
authors: Sulser
mesh_terms: D000318:Adrenergic beta-Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D000328:Adult; D001345:Autoradiography; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003720:Densitometry; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000494:pharmacology; D007545:Isoproterenol / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D000683:Serum Amyloid P-Component / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D013997:Time Factors; D000099153:Pentraxins
chemical_list: D000318:Adrenergic beta-Agonists; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D003907:Dexamethasone; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D007375:Interleukin-1; D007545:Isoproterenol; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D000683:Serum Amyloid P-Component; D000099153:Pentraxins