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Decreased ribosomal DNA transcription in dorsal raphe nucleus neurons differentiates between suicidal and non-suicidal death
- Source :
- European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience
- Publication Year :
- 2015
-
Abstract
- An involvement of the central serotonergic system has been implicated in the pathogenesis of suicide. The dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) is the main source of serotonergic innervation of forebrain limbic structures disturbed in suicidal behaviour. The study was carried out on paraffin-embedded brainstem blocks containing the DRN obtained from 27 suicide completers (predominantly violent) with unknown psychiatric diagnosis and 30 non-suicidal controls. The transcriptional activity of ribosomal DNA (rDNA) in DRN neurons as a surrogate marker of protein biosynthesis was evaluated by the AgNOR silver staining method. Significant decreases in AgNOR parameters suggestive of attenuated rDNA activity were found in the cumulative analysis of all DRN subnuclei in suicide victims versus controls (U test P values 80 %) suggests a diagnostic value of the observed effect. However, the possible application of the method in forensic differentiation diagnostics between suicidal and non-suicidal death needs further research. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00406-015-0655-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
- Subjects :
- Adult
Dorsal Raphe Nucleus
Male
medicine.medical_specialty
Pathology
Transcription, Genetic
Post-mortem
AgNOR staining
Poison control
Serotonergic
DNA, Ribosomal
Pathogenesis
03 medical and health sciences
Young Adult
0302 clinical medicine
Dorsal raphe nucleus
Transcription (biology)
Internal medicine
medicine
Humans
Pharmacology (medical)
Ribosomal DNA
Biological Psychiatry
Original Paper
business.industry
General Medicine
Middle Aged
030227 psychiatry
Psychiatry and Mental health
Suicide
Endocrinology
Case-Control Studies
Forebrain
Female
Brainstem
business
030217 neurology & neurosurgery
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 14338491
- Volume :
- 266
- Issue :
- 3
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- European archives of psychiatry and clinical neuroscience
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....09f714e05ff6c84372a4d4cea0bf6468