Liao Jiwu, Wang Sisi, Yang Haihua, Ma Ping, Li Congrui, Huang Qiaoting, Pan Jiyang
Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
Int J Neurosci. 2022 Jun;132(6):606-612. doi: 10.1080/00207454.2020.1829618. Epub 2021 Mar 4.
We aimed to investigate the expression levels of GABA and GABA receptor α1 and α2 subunits in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) during onset and remission.
48 patients with MDD during onset and 45 patients with MDD during remission who were treated in our university were selected. Moreover, the control group included 46 healthy volunteers recruited in the community. The depression and anxiety symptoms were assessed by Hamilton Depression (HAMD) Scale and Hamilton Anxiety (HAMA) Scale. ELISA was used to determine the serum GABA levels. The mRNA expression of GABA receptor α1 and α2 subunits in peripheral blood were detected by RT-PCR.
The expression levels of serum GABA and of GABA receptor α1 and α2 subunits in MDD depression attack group were notably decreased in comparison with those in MDD remission group and control group ((4.10 ± 0.73) v.s. (5.91 ± 1.25) and (5.83 ± 1.17) umol/L, = 5.61, < 0.001; (0.53 ± 0.32) v.s. (0.91 ± 0.18) and (0.93 ± 0.21), = 8.37, < 0.001; (1.45 ± 0.86) v.s. (2.33 ± 1.49) and (2.28 ± 1.50), = 8.23, < 0.001). However, there were no marked difference in the levels of these three indices between the MDD remission group and the control group ( > 0.05). Serum GABA levels were negatively correlated with HAMA total score (r = -0.34, = 0.02), HAMD total score (r = -0.46, = 0.01) and depression core symptom score (r = -0.32, = 0.03).
During the onset of MDD, there may be GABA neuronal dysfunction and abnormal expression of GABA receptor subunits, and those changes showed a state change, which gradually returned to normal during remission.
我们旨在研究重度抑郁症（MDD）患者发病期和缓解期γ-氨基丁酸（GABA）、GABA受体α1和α2亚基的表达水平。
选取我校收治的48例MDD发病期患者和45例MDD缓解期患者。此外，对照组包括46名社区招募的健康志愿者。采用汉密尔顿抑郁量表（HAMD）和汉密尔顿焦虑量表（HAMA）评估抑郁和焦虑症状。采用酶联免疫吸附测定法（ELISA）测定血清GABA水平。采用逆转录-聚合酶链反应（RT-PCR）检测外周血中GABA受体α1和α2亚基的mRNA表达。
与MDD缓解期组和对照组相比，MDD抑郁发作组血清GABA、GABA受体α1和α2亚基的表达水平显著降低（（4.10±0.73）对（5.91±1.25）和（5.83±1.17）μmol/L，F=5.61，P<0.001；（0.53±0.32）对（0.91±0.18）和（0.93±0.21），F=8.37，P<0.001；（1.45±0.86）对（2.33±1.49）和（2.28±1.50），F=8.23，P<0.001）。然而，MDD缓解期组与对照组这三项指标水平无显著差异（P>0.05）。血清GABA水平与HAMA总分（r=-0.34，P=0.02）、HAMD总分（r=-0.46，P=0.01）及抑郁核心症状评分（r=-0.32，P=0.03）呈负相关。
在MDD发病期，可能存在GABA神经元功能障碍及GABA受体亚基表达异常，且这些变化呈现状态改变，在缓解期逐渐恢复正常。
