Somatostatin content and receptors in the cerebral cortex of depressed and control subjects.

Somatostatin-like immunoreactivity is reduced in the cerebrospinal fluid in depression and this is presumed to reflect alterations in cerebral somatostatinergic systems. We have examined this hypothesis by measuring this immunoreactivity and somatostatin receptors in post-mortem cortical tissue from depressed patients and control subjects. There was no significant difference in the temporal and occipital cortex in somatostatin-like immunoreactivity or in somatostatin receptor affinity and binding capacity between depressed and control groups. It is concluded that there may not be an alteration of cortical somatostatin function in depression.