title: Neither cortisol nor brain-derived neurotrophic factor is associated with serotonin transporter in bipolar disorder.
abstract: Converging evidence indicates the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis and serotonergic neurons exert reciprocal modulatory actions. Likewise, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has been implicated as a growth and differentiation factor in the development of serotonergic neurons. The aim of this study was to examine the interaction of cortisol and BDNF on serotonin transporter (SERT) in bipolar disorder (BD). Twenty-eight BD and 28 age- and gender-matched healthy controls (HCs) were recruited. (123)I-ADAM with single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) was applied for measurement of SERT availability in the brain, which included the midbrain, thalamus, putamen and caudate. Ten milliliters of venous blood was withdrawn, when the subject underwent SPECT, for the measurement of the plasma concentration of cortisol and BDNF. SERT availability was significantly decreased in the midbrain and caudate of BD compared with HCs, whereas plasma concentration of cortisol and BDNF did not show a significant difference. The linear mixed-effect model revealed that there was a significant interaction of group and cortisol on SERT availability of the midbrain, but not BDNF. Linear regression analyses by groups revealed that cortisol was associated with SERT availability in the midbrain in the HCs, but not in BD. Considering previous studies, which showed a significant association of cortisol with SERT availability in the HCs and major depressive disorder (MDD), our result replicated a similar finding in HCs. However, the negative finding of the association of cortisol and SERT availability in BD, which was different from MDD, suggests a different role for cortisol in the pathophysiology of mood disorder.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital & National Yang Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan; Institute of Neuroscience, National Yang Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan. Electronic address: c520608@ms64.hinet.net.
authors.forename: Yuan-Hwa
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital & National Yang Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Jiing-Feng
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Lirng
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital & National Yang Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Wen-Chi
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neuroscience, National Yang Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yen-Chen
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Chiu
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital & National Yang Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yi-An
authors.initials: YA
authors.lastname: Tu
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital & National Yang Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Shyh-Jen
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002928:Cinanserin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000378:metabolism*; D016014:Linear Models; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D011485:Protein Binding / Q000187:drug effects; D011854:Radiochemistry; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon
chemical_list: C413491:2-((2-((dimethylamino)methyl)phenyl)thio)-5-iodophenylamine; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D002928:Cinanserin; D006854:Hydrocortisone
keywords: Bipolar disorder (BD); Cortisol; Serotonin transporter (SERT); Single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT); brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)