ArticleNeuroscience2016
Density of GFAP-immunoreactive astrocytes is decreased in left hippocampi in major depressive disorder.
Article in Neuroscience, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 138 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
138 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 258 citations in OpenAlex.
- Glial Markers of Suicidal Behavior in the Human Brain-A Systematic Review of Postmortem Studies.International journal of molecular sciences · 2024Pooled it
- Glial Cell Abnormalities in Major Psychiatric Diseases: A Systematic Review of Postmortem Brain Studies.Molecular neurobiology · 2022Pooled it
- Pooled it
- The role of zinc homeostasis in major depressive disorder: heterogeneous pathological mechanisms and therapeutic implications.Annals of medicine · 2026Review
- Cannabinoid use generalizes stress responses: involvement of astrocyte plasticity and activation of matrix metalloproteinases in the nucleus accumbens core.Molecular psychiatry · 2026Article
- Antidepressant Effects of 20-Glucoginsenoside Rf in an L-AAA-Induced Mouse Model with Glial-Associated Molecular Alterations.Current issues in molecular biology · 2026Article
- The Gut Microbiota-Astrocyte Axis: New Insights into the Mechanisms of Comorbid Major Depressive Disorder in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.Molecular neurobiology · 2026Review
- Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms Linking Mood Disorders, HPA Axis Dysregulation, and Neurocognitive Inflammation to Perioperative Neurocognitive Disorders.Biomolecules · 2026Review
- Early-stage olfactory bulbectomy induces hyperlocomotion with increased astrocyte and microglial density in the prefrontal cortex of male rats.Brain structure & function · 2026Article
- Glial Cells in Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Review
- Assessment of glymphatic system function using DTI-ALPS in depressive disorders: a study of its correlation with clinical features and plasma GFAP levels.Quantitative imaging in medicine and surgery · 2026Article
- Article
- Synaptic density in the hippocampus of depressed patients: A quantitative electron microscopic study.Progress in neuro-psychopharmacology & biological psychiatry · 2026Article
- Astrocytic PCBP1 Suppresses Ferroptosis to Restore Glutamatergic Homeostasis and Mitigate Stress-Induced Depression in Male Mice.Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) · 2026Article
- Neuropeptide SP protects against colitis and linked anxiety-like behavior through the putative roles of gut microbiota and metabolite inositol.Nature communications · 2026Article
- Sciatic Nerve Stimulation Mitigates Depression-Like Behaviors and Memory Deficits in Stressed Mice.The Kaohsiung journal of medical sciences · 2026Article
- Olfactory bulbectomy induces neurobiological alterations in the prefrontal cortex and hyperlocomotion in male rats.PloS one · 2026Article
- Adenosine A2A signaling in mood disorders: How far have we come?IBRO neuroscience reports · 2025Article
- NDRG2 upregulation induces astrocytic apoptosis via AKT inhibition and FoxO3a-Puma activation in depression.Communications biology · 2025Article
- Re-Examination of Inflammation in Major Depressive Disorder: Bridging Systemic and Neuroinflammatory Insights.Biomolecules · 2025Review
78 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
Neuroimaging and postmortem studies of subjects with major depressive disorder (MDD) reveal smaller hippocampal volume with lengthening duration of illness. Pathology in astrocytes may contribute significantly to this reduced volume and to the involvement of the hippocampus in MDD. Postmortem hippocampal tissues were collected from 17 subjects with MDD and 17 psychiatrically-normal control subjects. Sections from the body of the hippocampus were immunostained for glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), a marker of intermediate filament protein expressed in astrocytes. The density of GFAP-immunoreactive astrocytes was measured in the hippocampus using 3-dimensional cell counting. Hippocampal subfields were also assessed for GFAP-immunoreactive area fraction. In CA1, there was a significant positive correlation between age and either density or area fraction in MDD. The density of astrocytes in the hilus, but not CA1 or CA2/3, was significantly decreased only in depressed subjects not taking an antidepressant drug, but not for depressed subjects taking an antidepressant drug. The area fraction of GFAP-immunoreactivity was significantly decreased in the dentate gyrus in women but not men with depression. In CA2/3, the area fraction of GFAP-immunoreactivity was inversely correlated with the duration of depression in suicide victims. Astrocyte contributions to neuronal function in the hilus may be compromised in depressed subjects not taking antidepressant medication. Due to the cross-sectional nature of the present study of postmortem brain tissue, it remains to be determined whether antidepressant drug treatment prevented a decrease in GFAP-immunoreactive astrocyte density or restored cell density to normal levels.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.