Serum nitric oxide levels are depleted in depressed patients treated with electroconvulsive therapy

Flavonols in Action: Targeting Oxidative Stress and Neuroinflammation in Major Depressive Disorder

Major depressive disorder is one of the most common mental illnesses that highly impairs quality of life. Pharmacological interventions are mainly focused on altered monoamine neurotransmission, which is considered the primary event underlying the disease's etiology. However, many other neuropathological mechanisms that contribute to the disease's progression and clinical symptoms have been identified. These include oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, hippocampal atrophy, reduced synaptic plasticity and neurogenesis, the depletion of neurotrophic factors, and the dysfunction of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Current therapeutic options are often unsatisfactory and associated with adverse effects. This review highlights the most relevant findings concerning the role of flavonols, a ubiquitous class of flavonoids in the human diet, as potential antidepressant agents. In general, flavonols are considered to be both an effective and safe therapeutic option in the management of depression, which is largely based on their prominent antioxidative and anti-inflammatory effects. Moreover, preclinical studies have provided evidence that they are capable of restoring the neuroendocrine control of the HPA axis, promoting neurogenesis, and alleviating depressive-like behavior. Although these findings are promising, they are still far from being implemented in clinical practice. Hence, further studies are needed to more comprehensively evaluate the potential of flavonols with respect to the improvement of clinical signs of depression.

Does the Use of Rocuronium-Sugammadex Instead of Succinylcholine in Electroconvulsive Therapy Affect Seizure Duration?

OBJECTIVE

We compared retrospectively the seizure variables of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) patients after administration of rocuronium-sugammadex or succinylcholine as a muscle relaxant with propofol anesthesia.

METHODS

The sample comprised 134 ECT patients. The mean age was 33.6±10.48 years. Anesthesia induction was provided with propofol one mg kg-intravenously (IV) followed by succinylcholine 0.5 mg kg-1 IV (n=68) (Group S) or rocuronium 0.3 mg kg-1 IV (n=66) (Group R). For patients who were given rocuronium, reversal of the residual neuromuscular block was accomplished with sugammadex (1.5 mg kg-1 IV). First session seizure variables were compared between the two groups. We also presented the clinical outcome with Clinical Global Impression-Improvement (CGI-I) and overall adverse effects.

RESULTS

EEG seizure durations in Group R (55.09±36.11 s) and Group S (47.00±26.33 s) were comparable and were not significantly different (p=0.432). The clinical efficacy of ECT measured by CGI-I in both groups was comparable (p=0.075). There were no major complications or death during or after ECT.

CONCLUSION

The results of this study show that the use of rocuronium-sugammadex as a neuromuscular blocker instead of succinylcholine during ECT with propofol anesthesia produces similar results in terms of seizure variables and clinical outcomes.

A Systematic Review of the Literature Regarding the Relationship Between Oxidative Stress and Electroconvulsive Therapy

OBJECTIVE

Brain's aerobic energy metabolism, abundance of the fatty acids and unsaturated lipids, generation of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) by hormones, physiological roles of transition metals (i.e., iron and copper), and free radicals in the nervous system may cause inclination to oxidative stress in psychiatric disorders. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) may cause oxidative stress by the electrical field or by the induced seizure. It was aimed to review the literature in terms of the influence of ECT on levels of oxidant and antioxidant compounds.

METHODS

The literature search was performed with the keywords that were oxidative stress or "DNA damage" or "RNA damage" or "lipid peroxidase" or "superoxide dismutase" or "catalase" or "glutathione" or "nitrite" or "nitric oxide" and "electroconvulsive therapy" or "electroconvulsive shock" or "electroconvulsive seizure". Twenty of 1480 records were included.

RESULTS

Eleven studies were performed in human subjects, whereas 9 studies were performed in rats. Human studies are conducted with serum, plasma, or urine samples; rat studies include brain tissues from various sites. In rats, four independent studies showed increased levels of lipid oxidation markers, and four independent studies reported increased levels of oxidative stress markers in brain samples. In human studies, studies were performed with circulating blood samples and the results were more inconsistent.

CONCLUSION

Although some markers like superoxide dismutase or thioredoxin imply that ECT may increase the balance for oxidative stress, this notion is not supported by other markers of ECT. The current literature does not clearly suggest that the ECT is associated with oxidative stress in psychiatric disorders. Further studies with similar methods should be performed in big samples.