BDNF Impact on Biological Markers of Depression—Role of Physical Exercise and Training

Abstract

Depression is the most common and devastating psychiatric disorder in the world. Its symptoms, especially during the pandemic, are observed in all age groups. Exercise training (ET) is well known as a non-pharmacological strategy to alleviate clinical depression. The brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is one of the biological factors whose expression and secretion are intensified in response to ET. BDNF is also secreted by contracted skeletal muscle that likely exerts para-, auto- and endocrine effects, supporting the crosstalk between skeletal muscle and other distant organs/tissues, such as the nervous system. This finding suggests that they communicate and work together to induce improvements on mood, cognition, and learning processes as BDNF is the main player in the neurogenesis, growth, and survival of neurons. Therefore, BDNF has been recognized as a therapeutic factor in clinical depression, especially in response to ET. The underlying mechanisms through which ET impacts depression are varied. The aim of this review was to provide information of the biological markers of depression such as monoamines, tryptophan, endocannabinoids, markers of inflammatory processes (oxidative stress and cytokines) stress and sex hormones and their relationship to BDNF. In addition, we reviewed the effects of ET on BNDF expression and how it impacts depression as well as the potential mechanisms mediating this process, providing a better understanding of underlying ET-related mechanisms in depression.

Depression in Adolescence and Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor

“…Electroconvulsive shock therapy, exercise or endurance and muscle-strengthening training are also considered treatments for depression in adults, and these treatments are also applicable in the treatment of depression in adolescents ( Strohle, 2009 ; Wachtel et al, 2011 ; Hughes et al, 2013 ; Gokce et al, 2019 ; Wang et al, 2022 ). These treatments have shown positive effects on adolescent depression, and BDNF has been considered to play a role in their antidepressant actions ( Tsai et al, 2010 ; Murawska-Ciałowicz et al, 2021 ). For example, depression associated with the BDNF Val/Val variant appears to be more amenable to exercise therapy than depression associated with the BDNF Met/Met variant, which suggests that these non-pharmacological therapies may also have antidepressant effects through a BDNF signaling pathway mechanism ( Tsai et al, 2010 ).…”

A novel epithelial–mesenchymal transition gene signature for the immune status and prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma

“…The prognostic model raised in this study comprised ten EMT-related genes, including BDNF, COPA, GADD45B, GPX7, ITGB5, LOX, MATN3, MCM7, MMP1, and SPP1, which were associated with different stages of tumor progression. BDNF is a widely studied biomarker in the nervous system and has been strongly associated with depression and Alzheimer's disease [ 25 ]. Coatomer subunit α (COPA), a protein-recoding editing target, was edited differently in HCC, as first evidenced by Song et al [ 26 ].…”

Effects of physical distancing by COVID-19 pandemic on diet quality, neurological and immunological markers, and fecal microbiota of Brazilian older women

“…BDNF is an important regulator of synaptic transmission and long-term potentiation in the hippocampus and in other brain regions, suggesting an involvement in adult neurogenesis. In addition, BDNF is a crucial molecule for the central nervous system’s ability to regenerate and adapt to possible damage ( 56 ). There is some evidence about BDNF expression in skeletal muscle, cardiac, liver, and adipose cells, suggesting an association between beneficial physical activity practice and healthy diet on neuroplasticity mediated by BDNF ( 57 ).…”