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Objective: Identify whether rs11179000, rs136494 and rs4570625 polymorphisms of the tryptophan hydroxylase 2 gene, are associated with a major depressive disorder in a sample of the Colombian population. Methods: Case-control study was conducted in which a comparison was made between subjects diagnosed with major depressive disorder at some point in adulthood or active symptoms at the time of evaluation, and subjects with no psychiatric disease. Subjects were studied in the Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and the Institute of Genetics at the National University of Colombia. Polymorphisms were genotyped using Taqman probes in real time PCR. As well as studying the association between major depressive disorder and these single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), the association with other factors previously associated with depression were also analysed. Results: No statistically significant association between genotypic and allelic frequencies of each polymorphism and major depressive disorder was found. Association between sex and complication during pregnancy/childbirth and major depressive disorder was observed. Association between sex and complication during pregnancy/childbirth and major depres sive disorder was observed. Conclusions: There was no association between any polymorphism and major depressive disorder. RESUMEN Objetivo: Identificar si los polimorfismos rs11179000, rs136494 y rs4570625 del gen de la triptófano hidroxilasa 2 están asociados a trastorno depresivo mayor en una muestra de población colombiana. Métodos: Estudio de casos y controles en el que se comparó a sujetos con trastorno depresivo mayor diagnosticado en algún momento de la vida adulta o con síntomas activos en el momento de la valoración y sujetos sin enfermedad psiquiátrica. Se estudió a los sujetos en el Departamento de Psiquiatría de la Facultad de Medicina y en el Instituto de Genética de la Universidad Nacional de Colombia. Se genotipificaron los polimorfismos usando reacción en cadena de la polimerasa en tiempo real y sondas Taqman. Además de buscar asociación entre trastorno depresivo mayor y estos polimorfismos de un solo nucleótido, se exploró asociación con otros factores relacionados previamente con depresión. Resultados: No se encontró asociación estadísticamente significativa entre las frecuencias genotípicas o alélicas de cada polimorfismo y el trastorno depresivo mayor. Se observó asociación entre sexo y complicaciones durante el embarazo/parto y trastorno depresivo mayor. Conclusiones: No se halló asociación entre polimorfismo alguno y el trastorno depresivo mayor.

Objective Identify whether rs11179000, rs136494 and rs4570625 polymorphisms of the tryptophan hydroxylase 2 gene, are associated with a major depressive disorder in a sample of the Colombian population. Methods Case–control study was conducted in which a comparison was made between subjects diagnosed with major depressive disorder at some point in adulthood or active symptoms at the time of evaluation, and subjects with no psychiatric disease. Subjects were studied in the Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and the Institute of Genetics at the National University of Colombia. Polymorphisms were genotyped using Taqman probes in real time PCR. As well as studying the association between major depressive disorder and these single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), the association with other factors previously associated with depression were also analysed. Results No statistically significant association between genotypic and allelic frequencies of each polymorphism and major depressive disorder was found. Association between sex and complication during pregnancy/childbirth and major depressive disorder was observed. Association between sex and complication during pregnancy/childbirth and major depressive disorder was observed. Conclusions There was no association between any polymorphism and major depressive disorder.

Work with different animal models including that of maternal separation during nursing has shown that early adverse experiences such as abuse, maternal abandonment and psychosocial stress may favor the development of various psychopathologies. However, several neuroendocrine changes have not been completely described yet. To establish whether maternal separation during nursing modifies the basal levels of neurohormones such as corticosterone, ACTH, oxytocin and vasopressin in juvenile and adult rats (aged 35 and 90 days, respectively). Wistar rats were separated from their mothers for two periods of 3 hours per day during the 21 days of nursing. Once these rats had reached 35 and then 90 days of age, blood samples were taken from both the separated and control groups to obtain serum for immunoenzymatic assays and measure the levels of each of the hormones. Concentrations of corticosterone were higher in control adult females in comparison with the rest of the groups and lower in the control adult males. Those of ACTH were higher in the separated young males and females than in the adult groups. Oxytocin levels were significantly higher in the separated adult females in comparison with the other groups and significantly lower in the adult males. With respect to vasopressin, the separated groups had lower concentrations than the young and adult control groups. These results show that the early stress to which rats were submitted produced changes in the basal responses of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, that these responses were distinct in males and females and that they also differed according to age.

Antecedentes. La relacion madre-hijo y el cuidado parental al recien nacido son fundamentales en el desarrollo fisiologico y emocional de los individuos. Evidencias asocian el estres temprano con el desarrollo de enfermedades mentales. El modelo de separacion materna durante la lactancia (SMDL) se ha utilizado para inducir estres temprano en ratas y estudiar efectos a largo plazo. Diversos estudios han encontrado que, en ratas separadas de sus madres, disminuyen los niveles del receptor GABA-A y esos bajos niveles estan asociados a comportamientos ansiosos. Objetivo. Evaluar el efecto de la alopregnanolona, un neuroesteroide agonista del receptor GABA-A, sobre la ansiedad inducida por SMDL. Materiales y metodos. Se utilizaron 30 ratas Wistar dividas en dos grupos, uno control y uno experimental (SMDL). La SMDL se realizo desde el dia postnatal 1 hasta el dia postnatal 21, durante 180 minutos en la manana y 180 minutos en la tarde. Desde el dia 22 los sujetos se alojaron en cajas por sexo y tratamiento y continuaron su desarrollo normal hasta el dia 60, en el que se hizo la inyeccion con alopregnanolona y la prueba comportamental en el laberinto en cruz elevado. Resultados. El estres cronico causado por la SMDL afecta el comportamiento de los individuos, perfil comportamental que varia dependiendo del sexo. Se encontro que los machos presentan comportamientos mas ansiosos que las hembras, las cuales a su vez muestran mas actividad locomotora y exploracion Conclusiones. Al aplicar alopregnanolona el repertorio comportamental varia en los animales con SMDL; estos resultados sugieren que la alopregnanolona, a traves de su union al receptor GABA-A, puede llegar a revertir los efectos de la separacion materna, sobre los comportamientos relacionados con ansiedad.