Abstract: Objective To illuminate the relationship between prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) and major depressive disorder (MDD) with detection of the PGE1 concentration levels and the expressional levels of key genes in PGs synthetic pathway (PLA2, PTGS1, PTGS2, PTGES) in both blood samples of patients with MDD and the brain tissue of chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) mice. Methods High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to detect the levels of PGE1 in plasma and brain tissues, and quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) was used to detect the mRNA levels of PLA2, PTGS1, PTGS2, PTGES. Results The plasma PGE1 concentration and the mRNA level of PTGS1 gene were significant higher in MDD patients, and this result was well validated in the blood and amygdala of CUMS mice. Conclusion The rise of PGE1 in MDD may be related to the hyperfunction of the prostaglandin synthesis pathway.

Key words: Key words: Major Depressive Disorder, prostaglandin E1, PTGS1