Support for two increased vasopressinergic activities in depression at large and the differential effect of antidepressant treatment

Animal models of depression support a pathogenetic role for vasopressinergic activation involving increased arginine vasopressin (AVP) release and AVP receptor (V1b) synthesis. Evidence of this has been found particularly in patients with highly anxious-retarded (HAR) and above-normal AVP (ANA) depression. A general pathogenetic theory however predicts vasopressinergic activities to play a role in at least all major depressive disorders, and antidepressant (AD) treatment to be mediated by vasopressinergic reduction. We tested these hypotheses by re-analysing the data of 66 depressed patients; 27 with and 39 without AD treatment. The plasma AVP concentration and the AVP-cortisol correlation were used as presumed parameters of AVP release and pituitary V1b receptor function. A high AVP-cortisol correlation (r = 0.72; p < 0.001) was found in the non-AD group, and no correlation in the AD treatment group. AD treatment did not relate to plasma AVP concentration. The AVP-cortisol correlation in HAR and ANA depr...