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Deng Q, Parker E, Wu C, Zhu L, Liu TCY, Duan R, Yang L. Repurposing Ketamine in the Therapy of Depression and Depression-Related Disorders: Recent Advances and Future Potential. Aging Dis 2024:AD.2024.0239. [PMID: 38916735 DOI: 10.14336/ad.2024.0239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Depression represents a prevalent and enduring mental disorder of significant concern within the clinical domain. Extensive research indicates that depression is very complex, with many interconnected pathways involved. Most research related to depression focuses on monoamines, neurotrophic factors, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, tryptophan metabolism, energy metabolism, mitochondrial function, the gut-brain axis, glial cell-mediated inflammation, myelination, homeostasis, and brain neural networks. However, recently, Ketamine, an ionotropic N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist, has been discovered to have rapid antidepressant effects in patients, leading to novel and successful treatment approaches for mood disorders. This review aims to summarize the latest findings and insights into various signaling pathways and systems observed in depression patients and animal models, providing a more comprehensive view of the neurobiology of anxious-depressive-like behavior. Specifically, it highlights the key mechanisms of ketamine as a rapid-acting antidepressant, aiming to enhance the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders. Moreover, we discuss the potential of ketamine as a prophylactic or therapeutic intervention for stress-related psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qianting Deng
- College of Physical Education and Sport Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Emily Parker
- Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Chongyun Wu
- College of Physical Education and Sport Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ling Zhu
- College of Physical Education and Sport Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Timon Cheng-Yi Liu
- College of Physical Education and Sport Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Rui Duan
- College of Physical Education and Sport Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Luodan Yang
- College of Physical Education and Sport Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
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Pedraz-Petrozzi B, Lamadé EK, Marszalek-Grabska M, Trzpil A, Lindner O, Meininger P, Fornal E, Turski WA, Witt SH, Gilles M, Deuschle M. Fetal Sex as Moderating Factor for the Relationship Between Maternal Childhood Trauma and Salivary Kynurenic Acid and Tryptophan in Pregnancy: A Pilot Study. Int J Tryptophan Res 2024; 17:11786469241244603. [PMID: 38660592 PMCID: PMC11041113 DOI: 10.1177/11786469241244603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Traumatic experiences and fetal development influence tryptophan (TRP) and its neuroactive byproduct, kynurenic acid (KYNA). Maternal TRP metabolite levels during pregnancy vary by fetal sex, with higher concentrations in mothers carrying male fetuses. This pilot study aimed to explore the relationship between offspring sex, maternal childhood trauma, and maternal salivary KYNA and TRP levels during pregnancy. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was used to determine KYNA and TRP levels in maternal saliva samples collected from 35 late-pregnancy participants. Maternal childhood trauma was assessed using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, including subscales for emotional abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional neglect, and physical neglect. Among mothers pregnant with boys, salivary KYNA significantly correlated with physical and emotional neglect, and salivary TRP with emotional neglect. No significant correlations were found in mothers who delivered female offspring. Significant associations of childhood trauma and offspring sex were found for salivary KYNA but not TRP concentrations. Mothers with higher trauma levels who delivered boys exhibited higher levels of salivary KYNA compared to those with lower trauma levels. Moreover, mothers with higher trauma levels who delivered boys had higher salivary KYNA levels than those with higher trauma levels who delivered girls. This pilot study provides evidence of an association between maternal childhood trauma and TRP metabolism, measured in saliva, especially in mothers pregnant with boys. However, longitudinal studies with larger sample sizes are required to confirm these results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Pedraz-Petrozzi
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Eva Kathrin Lamadé
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Alicja Trzpil
- Department of Bioanalytics, Medical University of Lublin, Poland
| | - Ole Lindner
- Center for Child and Adolescent Health, Pediatrics, University Hospital of Freiburg, Germany
| | - Pascal Meininger
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Westpfalz-Klinikum, Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Emilia Fornal
- Department of Bioanalytics, Medical University of Lublin, Poland
| | - Waldemar A Turski
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University of Lublin, Poland
| | - Stephanie H Witt
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Maria Gilles
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Michael Deuschle
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Germany
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Bertollo AG, Galvan ACL, Dallagnol C, Cortez AD, Ignácio ZM. Early Life Stress and Major Depressive Disorder-An Update on Molecular Mechanisms and Synaptic Impairments. Mol Neurobiol 2024:10.1007/s12035-024-03983-2. [PMID: 38307968 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-024-03983-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/21/2024] [Indexed: 02/04/2024]
Abstract
Early life stress (ELS), characterized as abuse, neglect, and abandonment, can cause several adverse consequences in the lives of affected individuals. ELS experiences can affect an individual's development in variable ways, persisting in the long term and promoting lasting impacts, considering that early exposure to stressors can be biologically incorporated, as prolonged stimulation of stress response systems affects the development of the brain structure and other body systems, increasing the risk of diseases associated with stress and cognitive impairment. This type of stress increases the risk of developing major depressive disorder (MDD) in a severe form that does not respond adequately to traditional antidepressant treatments. Several alterations are studied as mechanisms that relate ELS with MDD, such as epigenetic alterations, neurotransmitters, and neuronal signaling. This review discusses research that brings evidence about the ELS mechanisms involved in synaptic impairments and MDD. The processes involved in epigenetic changes and the HPA axis are highlighted, as well as changes in neurotransmitters and neuronal signaling mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Gollo Bertollo
- Laboratory of Physiology Pharmacology and Psychopathology, Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Fronteira Sul, Chapecó, SC, 89815-899, Brazil
| | - Agatha Carina Leite Galvan
- Laboratory of Physiology Pharmacology and Psychopathology, Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Fronteira Sul, Chapecó, SC, 89815-899, Brazil
| | - Claudia Dallagnol
- Laboratory of Physiology Pharmacology and Psychopathology, Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Fronteira Sul, Chapecó, SC, 89815-899, Brazil
| | - Arthur Dellazeri Cortez
- Laboratory of Physiology Pharmacology and Psychopathology, Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Fronteira Sul, Chapecó, SC, 89815-899, Brazil
| | - Zuleide Maria Ignácio
- Laboratory of Physiology Pharmacology and Psychopathology, Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Fronteira Sul, Chapecó, SC, 89815-899, Brazil.
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4
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Kessler RR, Schiml PA, McGraw SM, Tomlin EN, Hoeferlin MJ, Deak T, Hennessy MB. Examination of the role of adrenergic receptor stimulation in the sensitization of neuroinflammatory-based depressive-like behavior in isolated Guinea pig pups. Stress 2023; 26:2239366. [PMID: 37529896 PMCID: PMC10421631 DOI: 10.1080/10253890.2023.2239366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Early-life attachment disruption appears to sensitize neuroinflammatory signaling to increase later vulnerability for stress-related mental disorders, including depression. How stress initiates this process is unknown, but studies with adult rats and mice suggest sympathetic nervous system activation and/or cortisol elevations during the early stress are key. Guinea pig pups isolated from their mothers exhibit an initial active behavioral phase characterized by anxiety-like vocalizing. This is followed by inflammatory-dependent depressive-like behavior and fever that sensitize on repeated isolation. Using strategies that have been successful in adult studies, we assessed whether sympathetic nervous system activity and cortisol contributed to the sensitization process in guinea pig pups. In Experiment 1, the adrenergic agonist ephedrine (3 or 10 mg/kg), either alone or with cortisol (2.5 mg/kg), did not increase depressive-like behavior or fever during initial isolation the following day as might have been expected to if this stimulation was sufficient to account for the sensitization process. In Experiment 2, both depressive-like behavior and fever sensitized with repeated isolation, but beta-adrenergic receptor blockade with propranolol (10 or 20 mg/kg) did not affect either of these responses or their sensitization. The high dose of propranolol did, however, reduce vocalizing. These results suggest sympathetic nervous system activation is neither necessary nor sufficient to induce the presumptive neuroinflammatory signaling underlying sensitization of depressive-like behavioral or febrile responses in developing guinea pigs. Thus, processes mediating sensitization of neuroinflammatory-based depressive-like behavior following early-life attachment disruption in this model appear to differ from those previously found to underlie neuroinflammatory priming in adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel R. Kessler
- Department of Psychology, Wright State University, Dayton OH, 45435, United States
| | - Patricia A. Schiml
- Department of Psychology, Wright State University, Dayton OH, 45435, United States
| | - Sean M. McGraw
- Department of Psychology, Wright State University, Dayton OH, 45435, United States
| | - Erin N. Tomlin
- Department of Psychology, Wright State University, Dayton OH, 45435, United States
| | - Mikayla J. Hoeferlin
- Department of Psychology, Wright State University, Dayton OH, 45435, United States
| | - Terrence Deak
- Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY 13902, United States
| | - Michael B. Hennessy
- Department of Psychology, Wright State University, Dayton OH, 45435, United States
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5
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Dettmer AM, Chusyd DE. Early life adversities and lifelong health outcomes: A review of the literature on large, social, long-lived nonhuman mammals. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 152:105297. [PMID: 37391110 PMCID: PMC10529948 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Revised: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/02/2023]
Abstract
Social nonhuman animals are powerful models for studying underlying factors related to lifelong health outcomes following early life adversities (ELAs). ELAs can be linked to lifelong health outcomes depending on the species, system, sensitive developmental periods, and biological pathways. This review focuses on the literature surrounding ELAs and lifelong health outcomes in large, social, relatively long-lived nonhuman mammals including nonhuman primates, canids, hyenas, elephants, ungulates, and cetaceans. These mammals, like humans but unlike the most-studied rodent models, have longer life histories, complex social structures, larger brains, and comparable stress and reproductive physiology. Collectively, these features make them compelling models for comparative aging research. We review studies of caregiver, social, and ecological ELAs, often in tandem, in these mammals. We consider experimental and observational studies and what each has contributed to our knowledge of health across the lifespan. We demonstrate the continued and expanded need for comparative research to inform about the social determinants of health and aging in both humans and nonhuman animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda M Dettmer
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, 230 S. Frontage Rd., New Haven, CT, USA.
| | - Daniella E Chusyd
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Indiana University Bloomington, 1025 E. 7th St., Bloomington, IN, USA; Department of Health and Wellness Design, Indiana University Bloomington, 1025 E. 7th St., Bloomington, IN, USA
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6
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Shaw C, Hess M, Weimer BC. Microbial-Derived Tryptophan Metabolites and Their Role in Neurological Disease: Anthranilic Acid and Anthranilic Acid Derivatives. Microorganisms 2023; 11:1825. [PMID: 37512997 PMCID: PMC10384668 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11071825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Revised: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The gut microbiome provides the host access to otherwise indigestible nutrients, which are often further metabolized by the microbiome into bioactive components. The gut microbiome can also shift the balance of host-produced compounds, which may alter host health. One precursor to bioactive metabolites is the essential aromatic amino acid tryptophan. Tryptophan is mostly shunted into the kynurenine pathway but is also the primary metabolite for serotonin production and the bacterial indole pathway. Balance between tryptophan-derived bioactive metabolites is crucial for neurological homeostasis and metabolic imbalance can trigger or exacerbate neurological diseases. Alzheimer's, depression, and schizophrenia have been linked to diverging levels of tryptophan-derived anthranilic, kynurenic, and quinolinic acid. Anthranilic acid from collective microbiome metabolism plays a complex but important role in systemic host health. Although anthranilic acid and its metabolic products are of great importance for host-microbe interaction in neurological health, literature examining the mechanistic relationships between microbial production, host regulation, and neurological diseases is scarce and at times conflicting. This narrative review provides an overview of the current understanding of anthranilic acid's role in neurological health and disease, with particular focus on the contribution of the gut microbiome, the gut-brain axis, and the involvement of the three major tryptophan pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Shaw
- Department of Population Health and Reproduction, 100K Pathogen Genome Project, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
- Department of Animal Science, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Matthias Hess
- Department of Animal Science, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Bart C Weimer
- Department of Population Health and Reproduction, 100K Pathogen Genome Project, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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Newton A, McCann L, Huo L, Liu A. Kynurenine Pathway Regulation at Its Critical Junctions with Fluctuation of Tryptophan. Metabolites 2023; 13:metabo13040500. [PMID: 37110158 PMCID: PMC10143591 DOI: 10.3390/metabo13040500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The kynurenine pathway (KP) is the primary route for the catabolism of the essential amino acid tryptophan. The central KP metabolites are neurologically active molecules or biosynthetic precursors to critical molecules, such as NAD+. Within this pathway are three enzymes of interest, HAO, ACMSD, and AMSDH, whose substrates and/or products can spontaneously cyclize to form side products such as quinolinic acid (QA or QUIN) and picolinic acid. Due to their unstable nature for spontaneous autocyclization, it might be expected that the levels of these side products would be dependent on tryptophan intake; however, this is not the case in healthy individuals. On top of that, the regulatory mechanisms of the KP remain unknown, even after a deeper understanding of the structure and mechanism of the enzymes that handle these unstable KP metabolic intermediates. Thus, the question arises, how do these enzymes compete with the autocyclization of their substrates, especially amidst increased tryptophan levels? Here, we propose the formation of a transient enzyme complex as a regulatory mechanism for metabolite distribution between enzymatic and non-enzymatic routes during periods of increased metabolic intake. Amid high levels of tryptophan, HAO, ACMSD, and AMSDH may bind together, forming a tunnel to shuttle the metabolites through each enzyme, consequently regulating the autocyclization of their products. Though further research is required to establish the formation of transient complexation as a solution to the regulatory mysteries of the KP, our docking model studies support this new hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley Newton
- Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78249, USA
| | - Luree McCann
- Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78249, USA
| | - Lu Huo
- Department of Chemistry, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA
| | - Aimin Liu
- Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78249, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA
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8
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Radford-Smith DE, Anthony DC. Mechanisms of Maternal Diet-Induced Obesity Affecting the Offspring Brain and Development of Affective Disorders. Metabolites 2023; 13:455. [PMID: 36984895 PMCID: PMC10053489 DOI: 10.3390/metabo13030455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Revised: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Depression and metabolic disease are common disorders that share a bidirectional relationship and continue to increase in prevalence. Maternal diet and maternal behaviour both profoundly influence the developmental trajectory of offspring during the perinatal period. At an epidemiological level, both maternal depression and obesity during pregnancy have been shown to increase the risk of neuropsychiatric disease in the subsequent generation. Considerable progress has been made to understand the mechanisms by which maternal obesity disrupts the developing offspring gut-brain axis, priming offspring for the development of affective disorders. This review outlines such mechanisms in detail, including altered maternal care, the maternal microbiome, inflammation, breast milk composition, and maternal and placental metabolites. Subsequently, offspring may be prone to developing gut-brain interaction disorders with concomitant changes to brain energy metabolism, neurotransmission, and behaviour, alongside gut dysbiosis. The gut microbiome may act as a key modifiable, and therefore treatable, feature of the relationship between maternal obesity and the offspring brain function. Further studies examining the relationship between maternal nutrition, the maternal microbiome and metabolites, and offspring neurodevelopment are warranted to identify novel therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel E. Radford-Smith
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Warneford Lane, Oxford OX37JX, UK
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX13TA, UK
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Oxford, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX13QT, UK
| | - Daniel C. Anthony
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Oxford, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX13QT, UK
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Fries GR, Saldana VA, Finnstein J, Rein T. Molecular pathways of major depressive disorder converge on the synapse. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:284-297. [PMID: 36203007 PMCID: PMC9540059 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01806-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 112.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2022] [Revised: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a psychiatric disease of still poorly understood molecular etiology. Extensive studies at different molecular levels point to a high complexity of numerous interrelated pathways as the underpinnings of depression. Major systems under consideration include monoamines, stress, neurotrophins and neurogenesis, excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmission, mitochondrial dysfunction, (epi)genetics, inflammation, the opioid system, myelination, and the gut-brain axis, among others. This review aims at illustrating how these multiple signaling pathways and systems may interact to provide a more comprehensive view of MDD's neurobiology. In particular, considering the pattern of synaptic activity as the closest physical representation of mood, emotion, and conscience we can conceptualize, each pathway or molecular system will be scrutinized for links to synaptic neurotransmission. Models of the neurobiology of MDD will be discussed as well as future actions to improve the understanding of the disease and treatment options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel R. Fries
- grid.267308.80000 0000 9206 2401Translational Psychiatry Program, Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 1941 East Rd, Houston, TX 77054 USA ,grid.240145.60000 0001 2291 4776Neuroscience Graduate Program, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, 6767 Bertner Ave, Houston, TX 77030 USA
| | - Valeria A. Saldana
- grid.262285.90000 0000 8800 2297Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University, 370 Bassett Road, North Haven, CT 06473 USA
| | - Johannes Finnstein
- grid.419548.50000 0000 9497 5095Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Project Group Molecular Pathways of Depression, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Kraepelinstr. 10, 80804 Munich, Germany
| | - Theo Rein
- Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Project Group Molecular Pathways of Depression, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Kraepelinstr. 10, 80804, Munich, Germany.
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Pivac N, Vuic B, Sagud M, Nedic Erjavec G, Nikolac Perkovic M, Konjevod M, Tudor L, Svob Strac D, Uzun S, Kozumplik O, Uzun S, Mimica N. PTSD, Immune System, and Inflammation. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2023; 1411:225-262. [PMID: 36949313 DOI: 10.1007/978-981-19-7376-5_11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/24/2023]
Abstract
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a severe trauma and stress-related disorder associated with different somatic comorbidities, especially cardiovascular and metabolic disorders, and with chronic low-grade inflammation. Altered balance of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, cytokines and chemokines, C-reactive protein, oxidative stress markers, kynurenine pathways, and gut microbiota might be involved in the alterations of certain brain regions regulating fear conditioning and memory processes, that are all altered in PTSD. In addition to the HPA axis, the gut microbiota maintains the balance and interaction of the immune, CNS, and endocrine pathways forming the gut-brain axis. Disbalance in the HPA axis, gut-brain axis, oxidative stress pathways and kynurenine pathways, altered immune signaling and disrupted homeostasis, as well as the association of the PTSD with the inflammation and disrupted cognition support the search for novel strategies for treatment of PTSD. Besides potential anti-inflammatory treatment, dietary interventions or the use of beneficial bacteria, such as probiotics, can potentially improve the composition and the function of the bacterial community in the gut. Therefore, bacterial supplements and controlled dietary changes, with exercise, might have beneficial effects on the psychological and cognitive functions in patients with PTSD. These new treatments should be aimed to attenuate inflammatory processes and consequently to reduce PTSD symptoms but also to improve cognition and reduce cardio-metabolic disorders associated so frequently with PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nela Pivac
- Division of Molecular Medicine, Laboratory for Molecular Neuropsychiatry, Rudjer Boskovic Institute, Zagreb, Croatia.
| | - Barbara Vuic
- Division of Molecular Medicine, Laboratory for Molecular Neuropsychiatry, Rudjer Boskovic Institute, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Marina Sagud
- Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Center Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
- University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Gordana Nedic Erjavec
- Division of Molecular Medicine, Laboratory for Molecular Neuropsychiatry, Rudjer Boskovic Institute, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Matea Nikolac Perkovic
- Division of Molecular Medicine, Laboratory for Molecular Neuropsychiatry, Rudjer Boskovic Institute, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Marcela Konjevod
- Division of Molecular Medicine, Laboratory for Molecular Neuropsychiatry, Rudjer Boskovic Institute, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Lucija Tudor
- Division of Molecular Medicine, Laboratory for Molecular Neuropsychiatry, Rudjer Boskovic Institute, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Dubravka Svob Strac
- Division of Molecular Medicine, Laboratory for Molecular Neuropsychiatry, Rudjer Boskovic Institute, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Suzana Uzun
- University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia
- University Psychiatric Hospital Vrapce, Zagreb, Croatia
| | | | - Sandra Uzun
- Department for Anesthesiology, Reanimatology, and Intensive Care, University Hospital Center Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Ninoslav Mimica
- University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia
- University Psychiatric Hospital Vrapce, Zagreb, Croatia
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Leo A, De Caro C, Mainardi P, Tallarico M, Nesci V, Marascio N, Striano P, Russo E, Constanti A, De Sarro G, Citraro R. Increased efficacy of combining prebiotic and postbiotic in mouse models relevant to autism and depression. Neuropharmacology 2021; 198:108782. [PMID: 34492286 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2021.108782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Revised: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The Microbiota-Gut-Brain axis (MGBA) is a bidirectional communication pathway between gut bacteria and the central nervous system (CNS) (including the intestine) that exerts a profound influence on neural development, neuroinflammation, activation of stress response and neurotransmission, in addition to modulating complex behaviours, such as sociability and anxiety. Several MGBA modulating approaches are possible, such as probiotic administration. A reasonable pharmacological approach would also be the contemporarily administration of both prebiotics and postbiotics. To test this hypothesis, we probed the effects of α-lactalbumin (ALAC; a prebiotic in the dose range of 125-500 mg/kg) and sodium butyrate (NaB; a postbiotic in the dose range of 30-300 mg/kg) alone and in combination. We used two animal behavioural models of idiopathic autism, (BTBR mice) and anxiety/depression (chronic unexpected mild stress - CUMS mice) respectively, using several standard behavioural paradigms such as Three-chamber social interaction test, Marble burying assay, depression-, anxiety- and memory-tests. In BTBR autistic mice, we found that both ALAC and NaB improve animal sociability, and memory in the passive avoidance (PA); drug combination was more effective in almost all tests also reducing immobility time in the forced swimming test (FST), which was not affected by single drug administration. Similarly, in the CUMS mice, single drug administration was effective in improving: 1) depressive-like behaviour in the FST and sucrose preference test; 2) memory and learning in the PA, novel object recognition and Morris water maze tests. Drug combination was again more effective than single drug administration in most cases; however, in the CUMS model, neither single drug or combination was effective in the elevated plus maze test for anxiety. Our results suggest that in both models, ALAC and NaB combination is more effective in improving some pathological aspects of animal behaviour than single administration and that the prebiotic/postbiotic approach should be considered a reasonable approach for the manipulation of the MGBA to improve efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Leo
- System and Applied Pharmacology@University Magna Grecia, Science of Health Department, School of Medicine, Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Carmen De Caro
- System and Applied Pharmacology@University Magna Grecia, Science of Health Department, School of Medicine, Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Paolo Mainardi
- People's University for Food and Health Studies, Genoa, Italy
| | - Martina Tallarico
- System and Applied Pharmacology@University Magna Grecia, Science of Health Department, School of Medicine, Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Valentina Nesci
- System and Applied Pharmacology@University Magna Grecia, Science of Health Department, School of Medicine, Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Nadia Marascio
- System and Applied Pharmacology@University Magna Grecia, Science of Health Department, School of Medicine, Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Pasquale Striano
- Pediatric Neurology and Muscular Diseases Unit, Istituti di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) 'G. Gaslini' Institute, Genoa, Italy; Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal, and Child Health, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Emilio Russo
- System and Applied Pharmacology@University Magna Grecia, Science of Health Department, School of Medicine, Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Andrew Constanti
- Department of Pharmacology, University College London School of Pharmacy, London, UK.
| | - Giovambattista De Sarro
- System and Applied Pharmacology@University Magna Grecia, Science of Health Department, School of Medicine, Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Rita Citraro
- System and Applied Pharmacology@University Magna Grecia, Science of Health Department, School of Medicine, Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy
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