Zinc treatment induces cortical brain-derived neurotrophic factor gene expression.

Most of antidepressants induce expression of the gene coding for brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the hippocampal/cortical neurons. Recent data indicate antidepressant-like activity of zinc in animal models. We now report that chronic treatment with zinc induced an increase in cortical but not hippocampal BDNF mRNA level (Northern blot). Tranylcypromine, a classic antidepressant, increased BDNF mRNA level in both examined brain regions. This is the first demonstration that zinc increases the BDNF gene expression, which is the effect shared by most of clinically effective antidepressants.