Karege F, Bovier P, Stepanian R, Malafosse A
Geneva University Hospital, Division of Neuropsychiatry, Switzerland.
Eur Neuropsychopharmacol. 1998 May;8(2):89-94. doi: 10.1016/s0924-977x(97)00047-3.
Platelet G protein subunits (G alpha i2, G alpha q and Gbeta) were measured in 15 non-treated depressed patients (recurrent major depression) and 15 age- and sex-matched healthy controls by using the Western immunoblot method. The depression severity was measured by the AMDP depression rating scale before start of treatment. The AMDP score ranged between 12 and 44. Patients were then treated with different antidepressant drugs (ATD) for 1 month, after which G protein and depression were reassessed. Results indicated that drug-free depressed patients displayed increased levels of G proteins subunits, in comparison to healthy controls. Antidepressant drug administration resulted in decrease of depression severity but only seven patients showed a net response to drugs (AMDP depression score less than 12). These drug-responding patients have also reduced G protein levels, while patients without significant improvement continued to display either the same levels of G proteins or higher, whatever the class of the drug administered. These results suggest that depression is associated to increase in G protein subunit levels and that the clinical outcome seemed to be the determining factor in further decrease occurring in G protein levels.
采用蛋白质免疫印迹法，对15例未经治疗的抑郁症患者（复发性重度抑郁症）和15例年龄及性别匹配的健康对照者的血小板G蛋白亚基（Gαi2、Gαq和Gβ）进行了检测。在治疗开始前，用AMDP抑郁评定量表评估抑郁严重程度。AMDP评分在12至44之间。然后，患者接受不同的抗抑郁药物（ATD）治疗1个月，之后重新评估G蛋白水平和抑郁情况。结果表明，与健康对照者相比，未服用药物的抑郁症患者的G蛋白亚基水平升高。抗抑郁药物治疗使抑郁严重程度降低，但只有7例患者对药物有明显反应（AMDP抑郁评分低于12）。这些对药物有反应的患者的G蛋白水平也有所降低，而无论服用何种药物，没有明显改善的患者的G蛋白水平要么维持不变，要么更高。这些结果表明，抑郁症与G蛋白亚基水平升高有关，临床疗效似乎是G蛋白水平进一步降低的决定因素。
