Serum trace elements in animal models and human-depression. Part II. Copper

ill the present study we report the results of investigations into the seru m copper levels in a clinical study of 19 patients with unipolar depression ; 16 normal controls and three animal models of depression: chronic severe stress (CSS), chronic mild stress (CMS) and olfactory bulbectomy (OB) in: r ats. Unipolar depressed patients exhibit significantly higher serum copper levels than the appropriate controls (depression 1.15+/-0.17 mg/l; control 0.95+/-0.09 mg/l). There was no alteration in that value in rat models of d epression. The data indicate that the increased serum copper level in the d epressed patients might potentially be a marker of that illness. Moreover, animal models of human depression do not show changes in this marker. Copyr ight (C) 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.