Does Arginine Vasopressin Reflect HPA-axis Activation in Major Depressive Disorder?

Blunted HPA axis response in lactating, vasopressin-deficient Brattleboro rats.

Adaptation to stress is a basic phenomenon in mammalian life that is mandatorily associated with the activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. An increased resting activity of the HPA axis can be measured during pregnancy and lactation, suggesting that these reproductive states lead to chronic load in females. In this study, we examined the consequences of the congenital lack o...

Vasopressin pressor receptor-mediated activation of HPA axis by acute ethanol stress in rats.

The plasma arginine vasopressin (AVP), ACTH, and corticosterone levels and the hypothalamic corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) content were measured after oral administration of 1 ml of 75% ethanol to rats, a model known to induce acute gastric erosions and stress. Elevated plasma AVP, ACTH, and corticosterone levels were detected 1 h after ethanol administration. Treatment with the vasopres...

Sheehan’s Syndrome Presenting as Major Depressive Disorder

Sheehan’s syndrome or Simmond’s disease is a rare endocrine disorder seen in clinical practice. The clinical spectrum is diverse and a high index of suspicion together with a good clinical acumen and proper diagnostic approach helps in early diagnosis and prompt treatment of this endocrinopathy. Sheehan’s syndrome presenting as a major depressive disorder finds less mention in the literature.Th...

EARLY ADVERSE EVENTS, HPA ACTIVITY AND ANTERIOR CINGULATE VOLUME IN MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER By

Major depressive disorder.

Copyright © 2008 Massachusetts Medical Society. Depression is related to the normal emotions of sadness and bereavement, but it does not remit when the external cause of these emotions dissipates, and it is disproportionate to their cause. Classic severe states of depression often have no external precipitating cause. It is difficult, however, to draw clear distinctions between depressions with...