Simvastatin treatment reduces the cholesterol content of membrane/lipid rafts, implicating the N -methyl-D-aspartate receptor in anxiety: a literature review

Cruz, Júlia Niehues da; Magro, Débora Delwing Dal; Lima, Daniela Delwing de; Cruz, José Geraldo Pereira da

doi:10.1590/s2175-97902017000116102

Cited by 4 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 95 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Anxiolytic effects of satins—drugs that are used to lower LDL levels—were also discussed in a recent review article [ 123 ]. The mechanisms behind it are assumed due to a modulation of the N -methyl- d -aspartate (NMDA) receptors in the brain, which show a close correlation with anxiety-like behavior.…”

Section: Metabolomics In the Study Of Anxiolytic Effectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Metabolomic Biomarkers in Anxiety Disorders

Humer

Pieh

Probst

2020

IJMS

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Anxiety disorders range among the most prevalent psychiatric disorders and belong to the leading disorders in the study of the total global burden of disease. Anxiety disorders are complex conditions, with not fully understood etiological mechanisms. Numerous factors, including psychological, genetic, biological, and chemical factors, are thought to be involved in their etiology. Although the diagnosis of anxiety disorders is constantly evolving, diagnostic manuals rely on symptom lists, not on objective biomarkers and treatment effects are small to moderate. The underlying biological factors that drive anxiety disorders may be better suited to serve as biomarkers for guiding personalized medicine, as they are objective and can be measured externally. Therefore, the incorporation of novel biomarkers into current clinical methods might help to generate a classification system for anxiety disorders that can be linked to the underlying dysfunctional pathways. The study of metabolites (metabolomics) in a large-scale manner shows potential for disease diagnosis, for stratification of patients in a heterogeneous patient population, for monitoring therapeutic efficacy and disease progression, and for defining therapeutic targets. All of these are important properties for anxiety disorders, which is a multifactorial condition not involving a single-gene mutation. This review summarizes recent investigations on metabolomics studies in anxiety disorders.

show abstract

Section: Metabolomics In the Study Of Anxiolytic Effectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Metabolomic Biomarkers in Anxiety Disorders

Humer

Pieh

Probst

2020

IJMS

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

The pharmacological bases for repurposing statins in depression: a review of mechanistic studies

et al. 2023

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Statins are commonly prescribed medications widely investigated for their potential actions on the brain and mental health. Pre-clinical and clinical evidence suggests that statins may play a role in the treatment of depressive disorders, but only the latter has been systematically assessed. Thus, the physiopathological mechanisms underlying statins’ putative antidepressant or depressogenic effects have not been established. This review aims to gather available evidence from mechanistic studies to strengthen the pharmacological basis for repurposing statins in depression. We used a broad, well-validated search strategy over three major databases (Pubmed/MEDLINE, Embase, PsychINFO) to retrieve any mechanistic study investigating statins’ effects on depression. The systematic search yielded 8068 records, which were narrowed down to 77 relevant papers. The selected studies (some dealing with more than one bodily system) described several neuropsychopharmacological (44 studies), endocrine-metabolic (17 studies), cardiovascular (6 studies) and immunological (15 studies) mechanisms potentially contributing to the effects of statins on mood. Numerous articles highlighted the beneficial effect of statins on depression, particularly through positive actions on serotonergic neurotransmission, neurogenesis and neuroplasticity, hypothalamic-pituitary axis regulation and modulation of inflammation. The role of other mechanisms, especially the association between statins, lipid metabolism and worsening of depressive symptoms, appears more controversial. Overall, most mechanistic evidence supports an antidepressant activity for statins, likely mediated by a variety of intertwined processes involving several bodily systems. Further research in this area can benefit from measuring relevant biomarkers to inform the selection of patients most likely to respond to statins’ antidepressant effects while also improving our understanding of the physiopathological basis of depression.

show abstract