New research has found that a drug used to
treat severe forms of acne reduces the availability of
the chemical serotonin, low levels of which have been
linked to aggression and clinical depression.
In a study published in the journal
Experimental Biology and Medicine, scientists
reveal a potential mechanism that might link the drug
Roaccutane (Accutane in the US) to reported cases of
depression in some patients taking the medication.
The researchers had previously reported that the
drug caused depressive behaviour in mice but, until
now, the mechanism by which this might happen was
unknown.
Using cells cultured in a laboratory, scientists
from the University of Bath (UK) and University of
Texas at Austin (USA) were able to monitor the effect
of the drug on the chemistry of the cells that produce
serotonin.
They found that the cells significantly increased
production of proteins and cell metabolites that are
known to reduce the availability of serotonin.
This, says scientists, could disrupt the process by
which serotonin relays signals between neurons in the
brain and may be the cause of depression-related
behaviour.
“Serotonin is an important chemical that relays
signals from nerve cells to other cells in the body,”
said Dr Sarah Bailey from the Department of Pharmacy &
Pharmacology at the University of Bath.
“In the brain it is thought to play an important
role in the regulation of a range of behaviours, such
as aggression, anger and sleep.
“Low levels of serotonin have been linked to
depression, as well as bipolar and anxiety disorders.
“Many medications aimed at treating depression seek
to increase levels of serotonin to help overcome these
problems.
“Our findings suggest that Roaccutane might disrupt
the way serotonin is produced and made available to
the cells.
“This could result in problems associated with low
levels of serotonin, which might include depression.
“We are currently looking into this mechanism in
more detail.”
The research is funded by the National Institute of
Environmental Health Sciences, the National Institutes
of Health and the University of Texas at Austin.
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Source:
University of Bath
Published on 19th
November 2007
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