Cigarette Smoking and Tryptophan Hydroxylase 2 mRNA in the Dorsal Raphe Nucleus in Suicides. Issue 3 (2nd July 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Bach, Helene; Arango, Victoria; Kassir, Suham A.; Dwork, Andrew J.; Mann, J. John; Underwood, Mark D.
• Is Part Of: Archives of suicide research. Volume 20:Issue 3(2016)
• Page Start: 451
• Page End: 462
• Publication Date: 2016-07-02
• Subjects: human -- in situ hybridization -- postmortem -- serotonin; Suicide -- Periodicals; 179.7
• DOI: 10.1080/13811118.2015.1048398
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1381-1118

Abstract

Abstract : Cigarette smoking is associated with suicide and mood disorders and stimulates serotonin release. Tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH2) synthesizes serotonin and is over-expressed in suicides. We determined whether smoking is associated with TPH2 mRNA in suicides and controls. TPH2 mRNA was measured postmortem in the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) of controls (N = 26, 17 nonsmokers and nine smokers) and suicides (N = 23, 5 nonsmokers and 18 smokers). Psychiatric history was obtained by psychological autopsy. TPH2 mRNA was greater in suicide nonsmokers than suicide smokers, control smokers and control nonsmokers (p = 0.006). There was more TPH2 mRNA throughout the DRN. Smoking interferes with the TPH2 mRNA increase observed in suicide nonsmokers. The absence of altered TPH2 expression in non-suicide smokers suggests no pharmacological effect of smoking.