Protein Found Linking Stress And Depression

[Adsos Letter]

Source: Science Daily

Stress, the ever-present threat to health and happy living, is tough on the brain. If the strain goes on too long, it can lead to debilitating psychological problems. Part of the reason, according to scientists at The Rockefeller University, may have to do with a little-known family of proteins called kainate receptors that has recently been implicated in major depression. New research in rats may help explain one mechanism by which stress reshapes the brain: namely, by ramping up production of a particular part of these proteins.

“We’ve recently seen large human studies that suggest kainate receptors are targets for response to certain antidepressants and are also involved in major depression and the susceptibility to suicidal thoughts,” says Richard Hunter, a postdoctoral fellow in Bruce S. McEwen’s

Harold and Margaret Milliken Hatch Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology at Rockefeller. “We are trying to build up a molecular understanding of what is going on here.”

Hunter and his colleagues homed in on one of five subunits of the kainate receptor called KA1. Performing a series of experiments exploring the impact of stress and steroids on rats, they found that stress, simulated by restraining the rats for six hours a day for three weeks, caused the genes to send instructions — messenger RNA — to increase production of KA1 subunits in particular parts of the hippocampus, a highly plastic brain structure involved in learning and memory.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090225175850.htm

[Jeep789]

1. Logical, prolonged stress leads to depression

But why shouldn't it and what is the solution? Happy pills that make you forget your stress or depressiion? Stress has a cause, perhaps we should be going after the cause.

[conspirator]

5. Yep. But the media really hides reason #1 for stress, obesity and most diseases:

long working hours

[The Backlash Cometh]

7. The #1 reason for stress is our dysfunctional society.

[tomp]

8. that's pretty much it, right there.

however, what these scientists want to look at is important because it might tell us why some of us have different reactions to stress and what might be done about it short of a complete revamping of society, which i want to make sure you understand, I completely support.

[mopinko]

6. antidepressants are not happy pills, do not make you forget anything and

your comments are crass. and offensive to a good number of du'ers who suffer from depression.

and stress cannot be waved away with a magic wand. you cannot bring lost partners back from the dead, you cannot make people's disabled children better, you cannot make poor people rich.

[Eurobabe]

2. thanks for posting this Adsos

very, very interesting. Not surprised. Next thing you know they will find out that stress ultimately causes dementia, etc.

[Adsos Letter]

3. That is my ultimate fear...

having lived with truly horrible depressive episodes in my younger days (pretty well controlled for the last 8 years0; I am very concerned that the very high stress levels I lived with for 25 years or so, combined with the depression, and the meds I have taken for it, will lead ultimately to Alzheimers or dementia.

It will be time to make some serious decisions, at that point.

Hi Eurobabe :hi: (what an appropriate name!) I listened to yer Elton John tune on facebook...that one, and "Daniel", and "Tiny Dancer" are some of my favorites of his.

[Eurobabe]

9. Elton is da'Bomb!

I too worry about the cumulative effects of stress, daughter #2 has studied how cortisol (stress hormone) stunts the growth of the hippocampus in children and adolescents during her grad studies. I think that is what is causing more of these wacko diagnoses: ADD, Oppositional Defiance Disorder, etc.

Nah Adsos, yer sharp as a tack. Have you ever had your thyroid checked? Improper levels can also trigger depression. We may have discussed before.

And I love Elton's oldies. :hi:

Happy trails on the Left Coast my friend.

[Hekate]

4. KnR from someone else who lived with over the top stress for decades....

Oy :eyes:

I'm glad to read of this research though.

Hekate