Alterations in the steroid biosynthetic pathways in the human prefrontal cortex in mood disorders: A post-mortem study.

ABSTRACT: Altered levels of steroids have been reported in the brain, cerebral spinal fluid and plasma of patients with mood disorders. Neuroimaging studies have reported both functional and structural alterations in mood disorders, for instance in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). In order to determine whether the endogenous production of steroids is altered in the ACC and DLPFC of patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) or bipolar disorder (BPD), quantitative real-time PCR was performed to detect mRNA expression level of key enzymes in the steroid biosynthetic pathways. In MDD, a significant decrease in mRNA level of cytochrome P450 17A1 (CYP17A1, synthesizing C19 ketosteroids) in the ACC and a significant increase in mRNA levels of hydroxysteroi

SUBMITTER: Qi XR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8028289 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature