Modulation of Tryptophan and Serotonin Metabolism as a Biochemical Basis of the Behavioral Effects of Use and Withdrawal of Androgenic-Anabolic Steroids and Other Image- and Performance-Enhancing Agents

Modulation of tryptophan (Trp) metabolism may underpin the behavioral effects of androgenic-anabolic steroids (AAS) and associated image and performance enhancers. Euphoria, arousal, and decreased anxiety observed with moderate use and exercise may involve enhanced cerebral serotonin synthesis and function by increased release of albumin-bound Trp and estrogen-mediated liver Trp 2,3-dioxygenase (TDO) inhibition and enhancement of serotonin function. Aggression, anxiety, depression, personality disorders, and psychosis, observed on withdrawal of AAS or with use of large doses, can be caused by decreased serotonin synthesis due to TDO induction on withdrawal, excess Trp inhibiting the 2 enzymes of serotonin synthesis, and increased cerebral levels of neuroactive kynurenines. Exercise and excessive protein and branched-chain amino acid intakes may aggravate the effects of large AAS dosage. The hypothesis is testable in humans and experimental animals by measuring parameters of Trp metabolism and disposition and related metabolic processes.

The common inflammatory etiology of depression and cognitive impairment: a therapeutic target

Chronic inflammation has been shown to contribute to the development of a wide variety of disorders by means of a number of proposed mechanisms. Depression and cognitive impairment are two such disorders which may share a closely linked inflammatory etiology. The ability of inflammatory mediators to alter the activity of enzymes, from key metabolic pathways, may help explain the connection between these disorders. The chronic up-regulation of the kynurenine pathway results in an imbalance in critical neuroactive compounds involving the reduction of tryptophan and elevation of tryptophan metabolites. Such imbalances have established implications in both depression and cognitive impairment. This may implicate the immune system as a potential therapeutic target in the treatment of these disorders. The most common treatment modalities currently utilized, involve drug interventions which act on downstream targets. Such treatments help to reestablish protein balances, but fail to treat the inflammatory basis of the disorder. The use of anti-inflammatory interventions, such as regular exercise, may therefore, contribute to the effectiveness of current drug interventions in the treatment of both depression and cognitive impairment.

Effects of memantine, an N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist, on fatigue and neuronal brain damage in a rat model of combined (physical and mental) fatigue

Most of the fatigue in everyday life is a combination of physical and mental fatigue. Recently, an animal model of combined fatigue was designed by housing rats in a cage filled with water. We have previously hypothesized that mental fatigue is caused partly by neuronal brain damage through the activation of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors by quinolinic acid (QUIN), a metabolite of tryptophan (TRP). Therefore, we investigated whether the same mechanism also participates in combined fatigue. Rats were housed for 5 d under water-immersed conditions, and the extent of fatigue was evaluated by a weight-loaded forced swimming test. The swimming time of the water-immersed group was shorter than that of the control group, indicating that rats were fatigued by water-immersion. However, unexpectedly, the blood and brain levels of QUIN in the water-immersed group were lower than those of the control group. QUIN levels in both the blood and brains of a food-restricted nonimmersed group, where body weight was matched with the water-immersed group, were also decreased, suggesting that decreased QUIN in the water-immersed group originated from a reduced intake of TRP-containing food. On the other hand, hippocampal neuronal damage was shown in the water-immersed group, similar to that seen in other fatigue models where QUIN increased. Memantine, an NMDA receptor antagonist, inhibited not only the reduction in swimming times but also the neuronal damage induced by water-immersion. These results suggest that neuronal brain damage by an endogenous NMDA receptor agonist other than QUIN participates in combined fatigue by water immersion.