Depression Treatment: The Physiological Roles of Placental Corticotropin Releasing Hormone in Pregnancy and Childbirth.

The physiological roles of placental corticotropin releasing hormone in pregnancy and childbirth.

Filed under: Depression Treatment

J Physiol Biochem. 2012 Dec 29;
Thomson M

In response to stress, the hypothalamus releases cortiticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) that travels to the anterior pituitary, where it stimulates the release of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). ACTH travels to the adrenal cortex, where it stimulates the release of cortisol and other steroids that liberate energy stores to cope with the stress. During pregnancy, the placenta synthesises CRH and releases it into the bloodstream at increasing levels to reach concentrations 1,000 to 10, 000 times of that found in the non-pregnant individual. Urocortins, which are CRH analogues are also secreted by the placenta. Desensitisation of the maternal pituitary to CRH and resetting after birth may be a factor in post-partum depression. Recently, CRH has been found to modulate glucose transporter (GLUT) proteins in placental tissue, and therefore there may be a link between CRH levels and foetal growth. Evidence suggests CRH is involved in the timing of birth by modulating signalling systems that control the contractile properties of the myometrium. In the placenta, cortisol stimulates CRH synthesis via activation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-?B), a component in a cellular messenger system that may also be triggered by stressors such as hypoxia and infection, indicating that intrauterine stress could bring forward childbirth and cause low birth weight infants. Such infants could suffer health issues into their adult life as a result of foetal programming. Future treatment of these problems with CRH antagonists is an exciting possibility.
HubMed – depression

Genome of the Chinese tree shrew.

Filed under: Depression Treatment

Nat Commun. 2013 Feb 5; 4: 1426
Fan Y, Huang ZY, Cao CC, Chen CS, Chen YX, Fan DD, He J, Hou HL, Hu L, Hu XT, Jiang XT, Lai R, Lang YS, Liang B, Liao SG, Mu D, Ma YY, Niu YY, Sun XQ, Xia JQ, Xiao J, Xiong ZQ, Xu L, Yang L, Zhang Y, Zhao W, Zhao XD, Zheng YT, Zhou JM, Zhu YB, Zhang GJ, Wang J, Yao YG

Chinese tree shrews (Tupaia belangeri chinensis) possess many features valuable in animals used as experimental models in biomedical research. Currently, there are numerous attempts to employ tree shrews as models for a variety of human disorders: depression, myopia, hepatitis B and C virus infections, and hepatocellular carcinoma, to name a few. Here we present a publicly available annotated genome sequence for the Chinese tree shrew. Phylogenomic analysis of the tree shrew and other mammalians highly support its close affinity to primates. By characterizing key factors and signalling pathways in nervous and immune systems, we demonstrate that tree shrews possess both shared common and unique features, and provide a genetic basis for the use of this animal as a potential model for biomedical research.
HubMed – depression

Citalopram-Associated Gambling: A Case Report.

Filed under: Depression Treatment

J Gambl Stud. 2013 Feb 6;
Cuomo I, Kotzalidis GD, Caccia F, Danese E, Manfredi G, Girardi P

Pathological gambling behaviour is a side effect of dopaminergic drugs used in Parkinson’s disease, but has seldom been reported with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. A 58-years-old woman with somatisation disorder since the age of 20 and recent-onset major depression (at 54 years) received 40 mg/day intravenous citalopram, thereafter switching to the same dose of oral citalopram to treat her comorbid psychiatric disorders after showing poor response to paroxetine for one year. Her anxious and depressive symptoms were moderately reduced after 7 months of oral citalopram, but simultaneously, the patient admitted gambling. We gradually discontinued citalopram and introduced pregabalin and alprazolam; this was followed by a reduction of gambling compulsions, but the somatisation and depressive symptoms did not further improve. Pathological gambling may be mediated by an interplay of 5-HT(1A) serotonergic and D(2) dopaminergic mechanisms. Citalopram affects both these mechanisms in areas that were shown to be involved in gambling behaviour, but while dopaminergic effects of citalopram appear to be consistent with the induction of gambling, its serotonergic mechanisms are rather inconsistent. In our patient, mood destabilisation induced by citalopram may have contributed to the first onset of pathological gambling.
HubMed – depression

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