Immunodetection and quantitation of imidazoline receptor proteins in platelets of patients with major depression and in brains of suicide victims.

BACKGROUND: Imidazoline receptors are a newly discovered family of receptors, some of which, like alpha 2-adrenoceptors, have a presynaptic inhibitory effect on the release of norepinephrine. The aim of this study was to identify by immunodetection imidazoline receptor proteins in human platelets and the brain to assess their status in depression and suicide. METHODS: Platelets were collected from 26 drug-free depressed patients and 26 controls. Specimens of frontal cortex (Brodmann area 9) were collected from 13 suicide victims and 11 controls. Levels of imidazoline receptor proteins were assessed by immunoblotting techniques. Solubilized imidazoline receptors were separated by gel electrophoresis, transferred to nitrocellulose membranes, labeled with a specific anti-imidazoline receptor antiserum, and quantitated by image analysis. RESULTS: Platelet and brain membranes expressed similar 45-kd imidazoline receptor proteins, and their mean +/- SEM immunoreactivities were found to be increased in depressed patients (platelets, 40% +/- 5%) and suicide victims (brain, 51% +/- 14%). Platelets also expressed a 35-kd imidazoline receptor protein that was also found to be up-regulated in depressed patients (21% +/- 4%). In contrast, brain membranes did not express this 35-kd protein but revealed a 29/30-kd imidazoline receptor protein that was found to be down-regulated in suicide victims (19% +/- 3%). In a subset of depressed patients who underwent antidepressant treatment, a change in the immunoreactivity of the up-regulated 45-kd platelet imidazoline receptor protein (-35% +/- 5%), but not of the 35-kd protein, was observed. CONCLUSION: The results support a role for the newly discovered imidazoline receptors (mainly the 45-kd receptor expressed in the brain and platelets) in the pathogenesis of depression.

Suprasellar choristoma.

A case of choristoma of the posterior lobe of the pituitary is presented. The clinical presentation suggested chromophobe pituitary adenoma and the true diagnosis was only established on histological esamination. Despite the patient's advanced age her-operative course was satisfactory, but the disturbances of endocrine and visual function remained virtually unchanged. Perusal of the literature shows that this is the twentieth case of suprasellar or neurohypophyseal choristoma so far published. It provides an opportunity to review the clinical presentation, radiology and treatment, as well as to discuss the histiogenesis and nature of this rare pituitary tumor.

[Childhood aphasia with epilepsy. Remission with antiepileptic treatment]. / Aphasie de l'enfant avec épilepsie. Evolution régressive sous traitement antiépileptique

The authors describe an example of an aphasic syndrome peculiar to children. This syndrome, which has previously been described by several authors, is characterized by an unusual form of aphasia, by its association with epileptic attacks, and by its onset in the absence of any apparent aetiology. In such cases, the effectiveness of anti-epileptic treatment on the aphasia is variable, often quite poor; on the other hand, in the case described in this report, administration of anti-epileptic treatment was followed by spectacular regression of the aphasia.