Elevated levels of prostaglandin E2 and thromboxane B2 in depression.

Plasma prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and thromboxane B2 (TXB2) levels were measured in 30 depressed outpatients. Plasma PGE2 was increased in all but one of these patients (p less than 0.001) and all had increased levels of TXB2 (p less than 0.001). Since monamine oxidase inhibitors inhibit brain prostaglandin synthesis, and tricyclic antidepressants may antagonize prostaglandin actions, these observations suggest new approaches to depression research.