title: Decreased ribosomal DNA transcription in dorsal raphe nucleus neurons differentiates between suicidal and non-suicidal death.
abstract: An involvement of the central serotonergic system has been implicated in the pathogenesis of suicide. The dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) is the main source of serotonergic innervation of forebrain limbic structures disturbed in suicidal behaviour. The study was carried out on paraffin-embedded brainstem blocks containing the DRN obtained from 27 suicide completers (predominantly violent) with unknown psychiatric diagnosis and 30 non-suicidal controls. The transcriptional activity of ribosomal DNA (rDNA) in DRN neurons as a surrogate marker of protein biosynthesis was evaluated by the AgNOR silver staining method. Significant decreases in AgNOR parameters suggestive of attenuated rDNA activity were found in the cumulative analysis of all DRN subnuclei in suicide victims versus controls (U test P values < 0.00001). Our findings suggest that the decreased activity of rDNA transcription in DRN neurons plays an important role in suicide pathogenesis. The method accuracy represented by the area under receiver operating characteristic curve (>80 %) suggests a diagnostic value of the observed effect. However, the possible application of the method in forensic differentiation diagnostics between suicidal and non-suicidal death needs further research.
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine, Medical University of Gdańsk, ul. Dębowa 23, 80-204, Gdańsk, Poland.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Krzyżanowska
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Otto-von-Guericke-University, Magdeburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Johann
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Steiner
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine, Medical University of Gdańsk, ul. Dębowa 23, 80-204, Gdańsk, Poland.
authors.forename: Karol
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Karnecki
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine, Medical University of Gdańsk, ul. Dębowa 23, 80-204, Gdańsk, Poland.
authors.forename: Michał
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kaliszan
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine, Medical University of Gdańsk, ul. Dębowa 23, 80-204, Gdańsk, Poland.
authors.forename: Ralf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Brisch
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine, Medical University of Gdańsk, ul. Dębowa 23, 80-204, Gdańsk, Poland.
authors.forename: Marek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wiergowski
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology/Developmental Neurobiology, Institute of Biology, Otto-von-Guericke-University, Magdeburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Katharina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Braun
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine, Medical University of Gdańsk, ul. Dębowa 23, 80-204, Gdańsk, Poland.
authors.forename: Zbigniew
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Jankowski
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine, Medical University of Gdańsk, ul. Dębowa 23, 80-204, Gdańsk, Poland. gost@gumed.edu.pl.|Department of Psychiatry, Otto-von-Guericke-University, Magdeburg, Germany. gost@gumed.edu.pl.|Department of Zoology/Developmental Neurobiology, Institute of Biology, Otto-von-Guericke-University, Magdeburg, Germany. gost@gumed.edu.pl.
authors.forename: Tomasz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gos
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000378:metabolism*; D065847:Dorsal Raphe Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013405:Suicide; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D004275:DNA, Ribosomal
keywords: AgNOR staining; Dorsal raphe nucleus; Post-mortem; Suicide