Oxidative stress and brain glutamate-mediated excitability in depressed patients.
BACKGROUND
Several neuropsychiatric pathologies have been recently linked to oxidative stress. In this study, we investigated the relationship between depression, markers of oxidative stress and neurotransmission, as expressed by sensory cortex excitability.


METHODS
Serum levels of oxidative stress markers and somatosensory magnetic fields, evoked by external galvanic stimulation, were measured in 13 depressed patients and 13 controls.


RESULTS
Depressives had higher levels of total and free copper than controls and lower levels of transferrin. They also showed lower sensory cortex excitability, which correlated with copper levels in controls, but not in patients. Transferrin correlated with sensory cortex excitability in both patients and controls, although in opposite ways. Copper level results associated with the patients' clinical status.


CONCLUSIONS
Small sample size and possible sampling bias in patient selection.


CONCLUSIONS
Pro-oxidant agents appear to affect neuronal excitability and clinical state of depressed patients, as free copper excess alters their cortical glutamatergic neurotransmission.
Salustri
Carlo
C
Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies (CNR), Fatebenefratelli Hospital, Isola Tiberina, Rome, Italy. carlo.salustri@istc.cnr.it
Squitti
Rosanna
R
Zappasodi
Filippo
F
Ventriglia
Mariacarla
M
Bevacqua
Maria Gabriela
MG
Fontana
Mauro
M
Tecchio
Franca
F
D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002570:Ceruloplasmin / Q000378:metabolism; D003300:Copper / Q000097:blood; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004292:Dominance, Cerebral / Q000502:physiology; D005073:Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000097:blood; D015225:Magnetoencephalography; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000502:physiology*; D012016:Reference Values; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000502:physiology; D014168:Transferrin / Q000378:metabolism; D015032:Zinc / Q000097:blood
D014168:Transferrin; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D003300:Copper; D007501:Iron; D002570:Ceruloplasmin; D015032:Zinc