Biological basis of depress*

Low genomic diversity is generally indicative of small population size and is considered detrimental by decreasing long-term adaptability.1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 Moreover, small population size may promote gene flow with congeners and outbreeding depression.7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 Here, we examine the connection between habitat availability, effective population size (Ne ), and extinction by generating a 40× nuclear genome from the extinct blue antelope (Hippotragus leucophaeus). Historically endemic to the relatively small Cape Floristic Region in southernmost Africa,14 , 15 populations were thought to have expanded and contracted across glacial-interglacial cycles, tracking suitable habitat...

The combination of Chaidangbo (CDB) is an antidepressant traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) prescription simplified by Xiaoyaosan (a classic antidepressant TCM prescription) through dismantling research, which has the effect of dispersing stagnated liver qi and nourishing blood in TCM theory. Although the antidepressant effect of CBD has been confirmed in animal studies, the material basis and possible molecular mechanism for antidepressant activity in CBD have not been clearly elucidated. Herein, we investigated the effects and potential mechanisms of CDB antidepressant fraction (petroleum ether fraction of CDB, PEFC) on chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS)-induced depression-like behavior in mice using network pharmacology and metabolomics...

This study evaluates the sustained antidepressant-like effects and neurogenic potential of a 3-day intranasal co-administration regimen of galanin receptor 2 (GALR2) agonist M1145 and neuropeptide Y Y1 receptor (NPY1R) agonist [Leu31, Pro34]NPY in the ventral hippocampus of adult rats, with outcomes analyzed 3 weeks post-treatment. Utilizing the forced swimming test (FST), we found that this co-administration significantly enhances antidepressant-like behaviors, an effect neutralized by the GALR2 antagonist M871, highlighting the synergistic potential of these neuropeptides in modulating mood-related behaviors...

This review explores the pivotal role of attention in everyday life, emphasizing the significance of studying attention-related brain functions. We delve into the development of methodologies for investigating attention and highlight the crucial role of brain neuroimaging and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in advancing attention research. Attention optimization theory is introduced to elucidate the neural basis of attention, identifying key brain regions and neural circuits involved in attention processes...

Locus coeruleus is a small bilateral nucleus in the brainstem. It is the main source of norepinephrine (noradrenaline) throughout the central nervous system (about 70% of all norepinephrine in the central nervous system), and, as shown in numerous studies, it is involved in regulating a significant number of functions. The detailed study of the functions of the Locus Coeruleus (LC) and its significance in human life became possible only after the development of histofluorescence methods for monoamines in the 1960s...

Despite decades of intense study, the molecular basis of asynchronous neurotransmitter release remains enigmatic. Synaptotagmin (syt) 7 and Doc2 have both been proposed as Ca2+ sensors that trigger this mode of exocytosis, but conflicting findings have led to controversy. Here, we demonstrate that at excitatory mouse hippocampal synapses, Doc2α is the major Ca2+ sensor for asynchronous release, while syt7 supports this process through activity-dependent docking of synaptic vesicles. In synapses lacking Doc2α, asynchronous release after single action potentials is strongly reduced, while deleting syt7 has no effect...

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) applied to a left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) area with a specific connectivity profile to the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (sgACC) has emerged as a highly effective non-invasive treatment option for depression. However, antidepressant outcomes demonstrate significant variability among therapy plans and individuals. One overlooked contributing factor is the individual brain state at the time of treatment. In this study we used interleaved TMS-fMRI to investigate the influence of brain state on acute TMS effects, both locally and remotely...

BACKGROUND: Quetiapine monotherapy is recommended as the first-line option for acute mania and acute bipolar depression. However, the mechanism of action of quetiapine is unclear. Network pharmacology and molecular docking were employed to determine the molecular mechanisms of quetiapine bidirectional regulation of bipolar depression and mania. METHODS: Putative target genes for quetiapine were collected from the GeneCard, SwissTargetPrediction, and DrugBank databases...

Psychological disorders, notably social anxiety and depression, exert detrimental effects on university students, impeding academic achievement and overall development. Timely identification of interpersonal sensitivity becomes imperative to implement targeted support and interventions. This study selected 958 freshmen from higher education institutions in Zhejiang province as the research sample. Utilizing the runge-kutta search and elite levy spreading enhanced moth-flame optimization (MFO) in conjunction with the kernel extreme learning machine (KELM), we propose an efficient intelligent prediction model, namely bREMFO-KELM, for predicting the interpersonal sensitivity of college students...

Stress resilience is the phenomenon that some people maintain their mental health despite exposure to adversity or show only temporary impairments followed by quick recovery. Resilience research attempts to unravel the factors and mechanisms that make resilience possible and to harness its insights for the development of preventative interventions in individuals at risk for acquiring stress-related dysfunctions. Biological resilience research has been lagging behind the psychological and social sciences, but has seen a massive surge in recent years...

Mood disorders are highly prevalent and heterogenous mental illnesses with devastating rates of mortality and treatment resistance. The molecular basis of those conditions involves complex interplay between genetic and environmental factors. Currently, there are no objective procedures for diagnosis, prognosis and personalization of patients' treatment. There is an urgent need to search for novel molecular targets for biomarkers in mood disorders. Cellular prion protein (PrPc ) is infamous for its potential to convert its insoluble form, leading to neurodegeneration in Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease...

Mental illness poses a huge social burden, accounting for approximately 14% of all deaths. Depression, a major component of mental illness, affects approximately 300 million people worldwide, mainly in developed countries, and is not only a major social burden but also a cause of suicide. The social burden of depression is estimated to increase further in developing countries, and overcoming it is a pressing issue for all countries, including Japan. Although clinical evidence has demonstrated the efficacy of serotonergic neurotransmission enhancers in the treatment of depression, the full picture of their therapeutic effects has not yet been fully elucidated...

Emotional experiences are a part of our lives. The maladaptive functioning of an individual's emotional field can lead to emotional disturbances of various kinds, such as anxiety and depression. Currently, there is an increasing prevalence of emotional disorders that cause great human suffering and high socioeconomic costs. Emotional processing has a biological basis. The major neuroscientific theories of emotion are based on biological functioning, and all of them take into account the anatomy and function of the tenth cranial nerve: the vagus nerve...

Hericium erinaceus mycelium extract (HEM), containing erinacine A (HeA) and erinacine S (HeS), has shown promise in promoting the differentiation of oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) into mature oligodendrocytes (OLs), crucial for myelin production in the central nervous system (CNS). The main aim of this study was to characterize the protective effects of HEM and its components on OLs and myelin in demyelinating rodents by exposure to cuprizone (CPZ), a copper chelating agent commonly used to induce demyelination in the corpus callosum of the brain...

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: The Tabernaemontana genus belongs to the Apocynaceae family of which 30 species are found in Brazil. Some Tabernaemontana species are used by Brazilian indigenous people and other communities, or are listed in the Yanomami Pharmacopeia. Ethnopharmacological data include use(s) for muscle problems, depressed sternum, back pain, abscess, indigestion, eye irritation, earache, itching, vaginal discharge, as an aid for older people who are slow and forgetful, mosquito and snake bites, infection by the human botfly larvae, calmative, and fever...

Synaptic plasticity is believed to be the cellular basis for experience-dependent learning and memory. Although long-term depression (LTD), a form of synaptic plasticity, is caused by the activity-dependent reduction of cell surface α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid (AMPA)-type glutamate receptors (AMPA receptors) at postsynaptic sites, its regulation by neuronal activity is not completely understood. In this study, we showed that the inhibition of toll-like receptor-9 (TLR9), an innate immune receptor, suppresses N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA)-induced reduction of cell surface AMPA receptors in cultured hippocampal neurons...

Depression is considered to be an "emotional disease" in ancient books of traditional Chinese medicine. Its clinical features are similar to those of "Lily disease" in the ancient Chinese medicine book Synopsis of the Golden Chamber written by Zhang Zhongjing in the Han Dynasty. Baihe Zhimu (Lilium lancifolium bulb and Anemarrhena asphodeloides rhizome) decoction (LBRAD) is the first prescription of "Lily Disease" in this book. It is also a special remedy for "Lily disease" after sweating. The classic recipe LBRAD consists of two herbs, fresh lily bulbs and dried Rhizoma Anemarrhena slice...

Although reactive oxygen species (ROS) are known to have harmful effects in organisms, recent studies have demonstrated expression of ROS synthases at various parts of the organisms and the controlled ROS generation, suggesting possible involvement of ROS signaling in physiological events of individuals. However, physiological roles of ROS in the CNS, including functional roles in higher brain functions or neuronal activity-dependent ROS production, remain to be elucidated. Here, we demonstrated involvement of ROS - 8-NO2 -cGMP signaling in motor learning and synaptic plasticity in the cerebellum...

Bipolar disorder (BD) is a severe and common chronic mental illness characterized by recurrent mood swings between depression and mania. The biological basis of the disease is poorly understood, and its treatment is unsatisfactory. Na+ , K+ -ATPase is a major plasma membrane transporter and signal transducer. The catalytic α subunit of this enzyme is the binding site for cardiac steroids. Three α isoforms of the Na+ , K+ -ATPase are present in the brain. Previous studies have supported the involvement of the Na+ , K+ -ATPase and endogenous cardiac steroids (ECS) in the etiology of BD...

BACKGROUND: Malnutrition affects up to 80% of patients with head and neck cancer (HNC), and is associated with higher burden of disease, poorer treatment outcomes, and greater mortality. The Eating As Treatment (EAT) intervention is a behavioural intervention, previously demonstrated to be effective for improved nutritional status, depression and quality of life, in patients with HNC. This paper examines the impacts of the EAT intervention on five-year mortality among participants. METHODS: A multi-centre stepped-wedge randomised controlled trial was conducted in five Australian hospitals...