Can incidence of depression in women be linked to estrogen dependent secretion of various hormone binding proteins?
This paper describes a possible framework of hormones and their binding proteins (BPs) that might be responsible for the increased incidence of depression in women, including postnatal depression. It is based on three reported facts: Increased cortisol exposure reduces growth hormone (GH) secretion. Cortisol and GH show opposite effects on mood. Liver secretion of various hormone binding proteins is increased under estrogen exposure. If we accept that pure cortisol exposure leads to depressive mood, while simultaneous brain exposure to cortisol and an anabolic (growth hormone or somatomammotropin) is less mood affecting, the occurrence of depression an be more likely in persons: with altered sleep patterns and thus reduced GH secretion, in individuals with increased chronic cortisol exposure (any individual under repeated or sustained stress, older individuals with stressful memories, etc.). The proposed mechanism can be enhanced in women of reproductive age through increased transcortin and GH BP pools due to estrogen action on liver. A particularly vulnerable phase seems to be the early postnatal period, when sudden discontinuation of somatomammotropin anabolic actions might lead to postnatal depression that takes weeks or months to resolve, until the GH/cortisol circadian rhythm normalization.
Dodig-Curkovic
Katarina
K
Department of Psychiatry, Osijek University Hospital, Osijek, Croatia.
Kurbel
Sven
S
Matic
Vesna Cacinovic
VC
D000328:Adult; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D004967:Estrogens / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000378:metabolism*; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism*; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000502:physiology
D001798:Blood Proteins; D004967:Estrogens; D013006:Growth Hormone; D006854:Hydrocortisone