Article Figures & Data
Figures
- Figure 1.
Representative SDS-PAGE gel autoradiograms for cerebellum and prefrontal cortex samples. A, Representative Gsα immunoblots of TX-100 and TX-114 extracts from cerebellum membranes of control (C) and depressed suicide (S) subjects. B, Representative Gsα immunoblots of TX-100 and TX-114 extracts from prefrontal cortex membranes of control and depressed suicide subjects. Gsα bands are indicated by arrows.
- Figure 2.
Comparison of the total extractable Gsα in both the cerebellum and prefrontal cortex of depressed and control subjects. Graphic representation of the normalized densitometric values of TX-100-soluble (100) and TX-100-resistant (114) Gsα from both cerebellum and prefrontal cortex. A, Data were acquired from densitometric determinations of gels and autoradiographs on cerebellum samples. Control versus suicide TX-100-soluble (100) and control versus suicide TX-100-resistant (114) Gsα were examined. A one-way ANOVA followed by a Newman–Keuls multiple-comparison test was performed and the means were not found to be significantly different (p > 0.05). There was no significant difference in the total amount (TX-100 plus TX-114) of extractable Gsα (n = 14 for control and n = 13 for suicide subjects). B, Data were acquired from densitometric determinations of gels and autoradiographs from prefrontal cortex samples. Control versus suicide TX-100-soluble (100) and control versus suicide TX-100-resistant (114) Gsα were examined. A one-way ANOVA followed by a Newman–Keuls multiple-comparison test was performed, and the means were found to be significantly different. ***p < 0.001, control versus suicide TX-100. *p < 0.05, control versus suicide TX-114. There was a significant difference in the total amount (TX-100 plus TX-114) of extractable Gsα in control versus suicide subjects, p < 0.0003 (n = 14 for control and n = 14 for suicide subjects), in the prefrontal cortex, but not in the cerebellum. Error bars indicate SEM.
- Figure 3.
Depressed subjects have significantly more raft-associated Gsα in the cerebellum and prefrontal cortex compared with control subjects. Graphic representation of the normalized densitometric ratios of TX-100-soluble and TX-100-resistant Gsα (TX-100/TX-114). A, Data were acquired from gels and autoradiographs on cerebellum samples. An unpaired t test was performed and the means were found to be significantly different, p < 0.02 (n = 14 for control and n = 13 for suicide subjects). B, Data were acquired from gels and autoradiographs from prefrontal cortex samples, and the average of those ratios is presented. An unpaired t test was performed, and the means were found to be significantly different, p < 0.05 (n = 14 for control and n = 15 for suicide subjects).
- Figure 4.
The membrane localization of Gqα in depressed subjects is unaltered in the prefrontal cortex and cerebellum compared with control subjects. Graphic representation of the normalized densitometric ratios of TX-100-soluble (100) and TX-100-resistant (114) Gqα from a small pool of prefrontal cortex (cx) and cerebellum (cb) samples. Data were acquired from gels and autoradiographs of cerebral cortex and cerebellum samples (some of which involved stripping and reprobing of blots used for Gsα determination). Samples were probed for Gqα. A one-way ANOVA was performed, and no significant differences were found (n = 4 for control and n = 4 for suicide subjects). Error bars indicate SEM.
Tables
Age (years) Race Gender PMI (h) Cause of death Drug screen(at the time of death) Psychiatric diagnosis 1 Control 22 Black Male 19 GSW None Normal 2 Control 37 Black Male 5 ASCVD None Normal 3 Control 31 Black Male 8 GSW Lidocaine Normal 4 Control 46 Black Male 9 Multiple injuries None Normal 5 Control 33 White Male 15 GSW Acetaminophen Normal 6 Control 48 White Male 26 ASCVD None Normal 7 Control 40 White Female 7 ASCVD None Normal 8 Control 23 Black Male 15 GSW None Normal 9 Control 38 Black Male 16 Lung sarcoidosis None Normal 10 Control 83 White Male 20 ASCVD None Normal 11 Control 65 Black Female 23 ASCVD None Normal 12 Control 35 White Male 24 Crush injury to abdomen and chest None Normal 13 Control 52 White Male 30 ASCVD None Normal 14 Control 63 White Female 30 Ovarian cancer None Normal 15 Control 37 White Male 24 ASCVD None Normal 16 Control 45 White Male 22 ASCVD None Normal 1 Suicide 26 Black Male NA Hanging Cocaine NA 2 Suicide 21 Black Male 4 Hanging Cocaine, morphine Opiate abuse, cocaine abuse 3 Suicide 50 White Male 7 GSW None No psychiatric illness 4 Suicide 27 White Male 24 GSW None Major depression, alcohol abuse 5 Suicide 24 White Male 7 GSW Ethanol Major depression 6 Suicide 21 White Male 17 GSW None Adjustment disorder with mixed disturbance of emotions and conduct 7 Suicide 75 White Male 18 GSW None Adjustment disorder/conduct disorder 8 Suicide 41 Black Male 12 Jumpingsuicide None Not enough information 9 Suicide 41 White Female 27 Drug overdose Amitriptyline, desipramine, diphenhydramine, nortriptyline, pseudophedrine, salicylate, ethanol Major depression, alcohol abuse 10 Suicide 68 White Female 26 GSW Amitriptyline Bipolar disorder 11 Suicide 22 Black Female 16 Drug overdose Propranolol Major depression 12 Suicide 39 White Male 30 Asphyxia Freon, cocaine, and metabolites Cocaine abuse 13 Suicide 30 White Male 32 Hanging Cocaine, ethanol Alcohol abuse, cocaine abuse, drug abuse 14 Suicide 46 White Female 21 Drug overdose Amitriptyline, desipramine, ranitidine, ethanol Major depression 15 Suicide 20 White Male 32 Hanging Ethanol Alcohol abuse 16 Suicide 21 White Male 23 Hanging None Adjustment disorder conduct -
ASCVD, Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease; GSW, gunshot wound; NA, not available.
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Cerebellum PFC Total extractable Gs NS ↓ Suicide TX-100 soluble (TX-100) NS ↓ Suicide TX-100 resistant (TX-114) NS ↓ Suicide ANCOVA (PMI, pH, age) TX-100 — No effect ANCOVA (PMI, pH, age) TX-114 — No effect ANCOVA (AD) TX-100 No effect No effect ANCOVA (AD) TX-114 No effect No effect ANCOVA (drug) TX-100 — No effect ANCOVA (drug) TX-114 — No effect TX-100/TX-114 Ratio ↓ Suicide ↓ Suicide ANCOVA (PMI, pH, age) TX-100/TX-114 No effect No effect ANCOVA (AD) TX-100/TX-114 No effect No effect ANCOVA (drug) TX-100/TX-114 No effect No effect -
NS, No significant difference between control and suicide subjects; ↓Suicide, significant decrease in the suicide subjects compared with control; —, not measured; ANCOVA, analysis of confounding variables (in parentheses) was used when there was a significant difference between values measured and when antidepressants were found in the subjects at the time of death; no effect, analysis of the data with the confounding variable had no effect on the original analysis.
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