Demonstration of disturbed activity of orbitofrontal pyramidal neurons in depressed patients by the AgNOR staining method.
BACKGROUND
The aim to find the morphological biomarker of disturbed activity of the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) in depression was approached by the karyometric analysis of pyramidal neurons.


METHODS
The study was performed on paraffin-embedded brains from 19 depressed patients from both major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar disorder (BD) diagnostic groups, including 9 suicides, and 24 matched controls. The karyometric parameters of medial OFC layer III and V pyramidal neurons bilaterally were evaluated by argyrophilic nucleolar organiser region (AgNOR) silver staining method.


RESULTS
The enlarged nuclear area was found in layer V pyramidal neurons in the right OFC in non-suicides compared to suicides and controls, which was most likely the effect of neuroleptics. The intra-group comparisons between the hemispheres suggest the disturbed orbitofrontal lateralisation in depressed patients (predominantly in suicides) with moderate distinctness of the MDD and the BD diagnostic groups.


CONCLUSIONS
A major limitation of this study is a relatively small number of cases. A further limitation is given by the lack of data on drug exposure across the whole lifespan.


CONCLUSIONS
The results suggest disturbed activity of OFC pyramidal neurons in depression, distinct in suicide and the diagnostic groups of mood disorders. The non-suicidal patients seem to benefit from neuroleptics, which most likely increase the activity of the subpopulation of OFC pyramidal neurons.
Gos
Tomasz
T
Institute of Forensic Medicine, Medical University of Gdańsk, Poland. gost@amg.gda.pl
Krell
Dieter
D
Bielau
Hendrik
H
Steiner
Johann
J
Mawrin
Christian
C
Trübner
Kurt
K
Brisch
Ralf
R
Bernstein
Hans-Gert
HG
Jankowski
Zbigniew
Z
Bogerts
Bernhard
B
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D034961:Antigens, Nuclear / Q000032:analysis* / Q000502:physiology; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D002423:Cause of Death; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D004292:Dominance, Cerebral / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017966:Pyramidal Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*; D012016:Reference Values; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult
D034961:Antigens, Nuclear; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; C051963:nucleolar organizer region associated proteins