title: A study of brain and serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor protein in Wistar and Wistar-Kyoto rat strains after electroconvulsive stimulus.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) protein has been related to depression and less consistently to its treatments in human studies. However, animal studies have failed to demonstrate a clear link between BDNF protein in serum and brain tissue.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum and brain tissue levels of BDNF protein were measured with ELISA in the Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) and Wistar strains at 1 and 7 days after 5 daily electroconvulsive stimulus sessions or sham treatments.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The WKY strain showed lower baseline serum BDNF protein relative to Wistar controls. After 5 electroconvulsive stimuli, BDNF protein density was significantly increased in hippocampus and cortical regions, but not in the cerebellum or in serum. A clear correlation between brain and serum BDNF was not observed in either strain or treatment group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite lower baseline serum BDNF protein in the WKY strain, a lack of change in serum BDNF after electroconvulsive stimulus and a lack of correlation between brain and serum BDNF protein calls into question the relevance of serum BDNF as a measure of depression and treatment response.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Mental Health Research, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. ckyeremanteng@gmail.com
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kyeremanteng
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: James
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mackay
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Merali
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D003863:Depression / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004565:Electroconvulsive Therapy / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011921:Rats, Inbred WKY / Q000097:blood*; D017208:Rats, Wistar / Q000097:blood*; D044967:Serum / Q000378:metabolism*; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor