ArticleJournal of psychiatric research2014
Reduced connexin 43 immunolabeling in the orbitofrontal cortex in alcohol dependence and depression.
Article in Journal of psychiatric research, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 58 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
58 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 108 citations in OpenAlex.
- The Dual Role of Connexins in Stroke, Neurotrauma, Neurodegenerative and Psychiatric Disorders: A Global Systematic Review.Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Pooled it
- Glial Markers of Suicidal Behavior in the Human Brain-A Systematic Review of Postmortem Studies.International journal of molecular sciences · 2024Pooled it
- Multi-omics characterization of astrocyte subtypes reveals spatially coordinated astrocyte downregulation in depression.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2026Article
- Pursuing the elusive biosignature for suicide: a decennial update.Molecular psychiatry · 2026Review
- Cerebellar astrocytic alterations in depression.Translational psychiatry · 2026Article
- ATP Release Deficiency through Astrocytic Connexin 43 in the Dorsal Hippocampus Promotes Depressive- and Anxiety-Like Behaviors.The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience · 2026Article
- Astrocytic connexins in alcohol use disorder: mechanisms of neuroinflammation and therapeutic potential.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2026Review
- When the Stars Misfire: Astrocytic Dysfunctions in Major Depressive Disorder.Neurochemical research · 2025Review
- Antidepressant effects of fluoxetine: upregulation of connexin 36 and 43 in the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, and amygdala.Molecular biology reports · 2025Article
- Connexin 43 is downregulated in advanced Parkinson's disease in multiple brain regions which correlates with symptoms.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Ginsenoside Rg1: A Neuroprotective Natural Dammarane-Type Triterpenoid Saponin With Anti-Depressive Properties.CNS neuroscience & therapeutics · 2024Review
- Reactive Astrocytosis-A Potential Contributor to Increased Suicide in Long COVID-19 Patients?Brain sciences · 2024Review
- Astroglial Dysfunctions in Mood Disorders and Rodent Stress Models: Consequences on Behavior and Potential as Treatment Target.International journal of molecular sciences · 2024Review
- Review
- Electrophysiological In Vitro Study of Long-Range Signal Transmission by Astrocytic Networks.Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) · 2023Article
- Reduced length of nodes of Ranvier and altered proteoglycan immunoreactivity in prefrontal white matter in major depressive disorder and chronically stressed rats.Scientific reports · 2023Article
- The connexin hemichannel inhibitor D4 produces rapid antidepressant-like effects in mice.Journal of neuroinflammation · 2023Article
- Connexin 43 Phosphorylation: Implications in Multiple Diseases.Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Review
- Connexin 43 regulates astrocyte dysfunction and cognitive deficits in early life stress-treated mice.Experimental brain research · 2023Article
- Astrocyte regulation of synaptic signaling in psychiatric disorders.Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2023Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
Reduced density of glial cells and low levels of some astrocyte proteins have been described in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) in depression and alcoholism, two disorders often comorbid. These regressive changes may also involve the communication between astrocytes via gap junctions and hemichannels, which play important regulatory roles in neurotransmission. We determined levels and morphological immunostaining parameters of connexin 43 (Cx43), the main protein subunit of astrocyte gap junctions/hemichannels, in the OFC of subjects with depression, alcoholism or comorbid depression/alcoholism as compared to non-psychiatric subjects. Postmortem brain samples from 23 subjects with major depressive disorder (MDD), 16 with alcohol dependence, 13 with comorbid MDD and alcohol dependence, and 20 psychiatrically-normal comparison subjects were processed for western blots to determine Cx43 levels. Area fraction of Cx43 immunoreactivity, and density and average size of immunoreactive puncta were measured in histological sections. There was a significant, larger than 60 percent decrease in Cx43 level in the three psychiatric groups as compared to controls. Area fraction of immunoreactivity and immunoreactive punctum size were reduced in all psychiatric groups, but Cx43-immunoreactive puncta density was reduced only in alcohol-dependent subjects. Among psychiatric subjects, no difference in Cx43 levels or immunostaining was found between suicides and non-suicides. The present data suggest that dysfunction of the OFC is accompanied by reduction in the levels of gap junction protein Cx43 in depression and alcoholism, and reduction in density of Cx43 immunoreactive puncta only in alcoholism, pointing to altered gap junction or hemichannel-based communication in the pathophysiology of those disorders.
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Registered trials
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