Dataset Information

Hair-based biomarkers in women with major depressive disorder: Glucocorticoids, endocannabinoids, N-acylethanolamines, and testosterone.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Stress-related alterations in the regulation of several endocrine systems, including the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) and -gonadal (HPG) axes and the endocannabinoid system are proposed to be involved in the etiology of major depressive disorder (MDD). Therefore, this study examines whether altered concentrations of glucocorticoids, testosterone, endocannabinoids, and related N-acylethanolamines accumulated in hair are present in MDD.

Methods

Female participants (range: 19-59, Mdn = 30.5 years) were recruited, including n = 21 with a current MDD episode and n = 27 nondepressed controls without any current mental disorder. Weight-standardized samples of 3 cm hair segments were analyzed which equals to three months of retrospectively assessed biomarkers in hair. Concentrations of cortisol, cortisone, testosterone, endocannabinoids (i.e., anandamide [AEA], 2-arachidonylglycerol [2-AG]), and selected N-acylethanolamines (i.e., stearoylethanolamide [SEA], oleoylethanolamide [OEA], palmitoylethanolamide [PEA]) were measured using mass spectrometry.

Results

Female MDD patients exhibited lower cortisol and cortisone levels in hair than nondepressed controls, whereas the hair concentrations of endocannabinoids, N-acylethanolamines, and testosterone did not differ between the groups.

Conclusions

Our results add to the heterogeneous body of findings on alterations in hair-stored glucocorticoids and endocannabinoids in MDD. As in previous studies, there was no evidence of altered testosterone concentrations in the hair of MDD patients. Larger and longitudinal studies are needed to comprehensively explore the overall picture of endocrine alterations in MDD.

SUBMITTER: Behnke A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9216461 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Hair-based biomarkers in women with major depressive disorder: Glucocorticoids, endocannabinoids, <i>N</i>-acylethanolamines, and testosterone.

Behnke Alexander A Gumpp Anja M AM Krumbholz Aniko A Bach Alexandra M AM Schelling Gustav G Kolassa Iris-Tatjana IT Rojas Roberto R

Comprehensive psychoneuroendocrinology 20210621

<h4>Background</h4>Stress-related alterations in the regulation of several endocrine systems, including the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) and -gonadal (HPG) axes and the endocannabinoid system are proposed to be involved in the etiology of major depressive disorder (MDD). Therefore, this study examines whether altered concentrations of glucocorticoids, testosterone, endocannabinoids, and related <i>N</i>-acylethanolamines accumulated in hair are present in MDD.<h4>Methods</h4>Female parti ...[more]

PMID: 35757050

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