Inverse Correlation of Brain and Blood BDNF Levels in a Genetic Rat Model of Depression
Open accessAbstract
There is accumulating evidence that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays a critical role in the pathophysiology of depression. Decreased serum levels have been reported in major depression, and a correlation between BDNF reduction and the severity of the disease was found. Moreover, in post-mortem hippocampal tissue, increased levels of BDNF immunoreactivity have been reported in subjects treated with antidepressants compared to untreated subjects. These findings indicate parallel changes in brain and serum BDNF levels during depression. BDNF has been measured in selected brain areas in several animal models. In investigations between Flinders Sensitive Line (FSL) and Flinders Resistant Line (FRL) rats, a genetic rat model of depression, no differences were found in BDNF levels in the frontal cortex and hippocampus, areas believed to be core brain regions in depression. However, to our knowledge brain and serum BDNF levels have never been reported in parallel for any psychiatric disease model. Therefore, we examined the levels of BDNF in whole blood, serum, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), hippocampus, and frontal cortex in male FSL and FRL rats. BDNF levels in serum and whole blood of FSL rats were significantly increased compared to FRL rats. In contrast, in the hippocampus the BDNF level was significantly decreased in FSL compared to FRL rats while no differences were found in the frontal cortex and CSF. The differential regulation of the BDNF levels in hippocampus, serum, and whole blood in FSL/FRL rats adds to the hypothesis that neurotrophic factors are related to the pathophysiology of depression.
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In a genetic rat model of depression, blood and hippocampal BDNF levels are inversely related, questioning the universality of correlations.
“an inverse relationship between blood and hippocampal BDNF levels was observed in a genetic rat model of depression, raising questions about the universality of these correlations [109].”
From Variations in BDNF and Their Role in the Neurotrophic Antidepressant Mechanisms of Ketamine and Esketamine: A Review (2024) · cites this paper as [109]
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“Received 7 July 2009 ; Reviewed 14 August 2009 ; Revised 21 August 2009 ; Accepted 24 August 2009 ; First published online 2 October 2009 Key words : BDNF, blood, correlation, frontal cortex, hippocampus.”
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Self-citation
- Authors
- Elfving, B., Plougmann, P. H., Müller, H. K., Mathé, A. A., Rosenberg, R., & Wegener, G.
- Affiliations
- Aarhus University Hospital (DK)
- Karolinska University Hospital (SE)
- Corresponding author
- Elfving, Betina
- Venue
- The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2009-10-02
- Volume
- 13
- Issue
- 05
- Pages
- 563-572
- ISSN
- 1461-1457 (ISSN-L)
- 1469-5111
- OpenAlex
- W2091064703
- Cited by
- 119
- References
- 33
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 12 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 7 · 2014: 5 · 2013: 8 · 2012: 8
- FWCI
- 10.06
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação
- Augustinus Fonden
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Treatment of Major Depression
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Biological Psychiatry › Tryptophan and brain disorders
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Nerve injury and regeneration
- Keywords
- brain-derived neurotrophic factor, depression, Flinders Sensitive Line rats, serum BDNF, cerebrospinal fluid, hippocampus, frontal cortex, neurotrophic factors, depression pathophysiology
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Brain, Brain Chemistry, Depression, Disease Models, Animal, Genetic Markers, Male, Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor, Rats
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