Localization and Quantification of Pro-Opiomelanocortin mRNA and Glucocorticoid Receptor mRNA in Pituitaries of Suicide Victims

Suicidal behavior has been associated with hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal overactivity as measured by increased corticosteroid secretion. Pituitaries from 7 suicide & 11 cardiac deaths were investigated to see if this overactivity is found at the pituitary level. Conclusions reported in this article: in situ hybridization is a useful took to study gene regulattion in human neuroendocrine tissue; suicide victims show evidence of chronic hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activiation. (49 Refs.)