Decreased thyrotropin-releasing hormone gene expression in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus of patients with major depression

Abstract

A number of subtle abnormalities in the hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis occur in a large proportion of subjects with major depression. The authors hypothesized that altered TRH mRNA expression in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) may be involved in the pathogenesis of these changes. Quantification of TRH mRNA expression showed a significant decrease in TRH mRNA expression in subjects with depression as compared to a control group. These findings underline an important role for the hypothalamus in the neuroendocrine changes in depression.