Treating depression with exercise: The inflammasome inhibition perspective

Abstract

Patients with chronic inflammation present increased blood levels of circulating cytokines and often are associated with symptoms of depression. The activation of the immune cells microglia in the brain of depressed patients has been associated with a greater prevalence of suicide, indicating a crucial role of neuroinflammation in the neuropathology of depression. In the modern lifestyle, decreased physical activity and increased sedentarism have emerged as risk factors for mental disorders, including depression. The literature is very consistent that exercise is an antidepressant; however, the molecular mechanisms responsible for these beneficial effects are far from being completely defined. We present evidence on the role of exercise in reducing neuroinflammation and inhibiting the assembly of the inflammasome in the context of depression, focusing on the potential immunomodulatory role of the biomarker neopterin.

Exercise-induced immune system response: Anti-inflammatory status on peripheral and central organs

“…Neopterin has been used as a sensitive clinical biomarker for immune system activation for over decades. Increased neopterin levels in biological fluids have been proposed by our group and others to be a biomarker of exhaustive or high intensity physical exercise-induced inflammation [39,40,135,[143][144][145][146]. Many reports have demonstrated that a sedentary lifestyle or reduced physical activity have increased levels of several markers of inflammation, such as C-reactive protein, IL-18, IL-6, TNF-α, that correlated with increased neopterin levels in the blood [64,145,147].…”

“…Other CNS alterations has shown altered monoaminergic metabolism, like the down-regulation of the biosynthesis of serotonin, which is implicated in the physiopathology of depression [133]. In addition, increased blood levels of pro-inflammatory mediators, e.g., IL-8 and TNF-α, with low levels of BDNF have been documented in individuals affected by depression [134][135][136]. Exercise is considered a first-line treatment in mild to moderate depression [135,137,138].…”

“…In addition, increased blood levels of pro-inflammatory mediators, e.g., IL-8 and TNF-α, with low levels of BDNF have been documented in individuals affected by depression [134][135][136]. Exercise is considered a first-line treatment in mild to moderate depression [135,137,138]. It has been shown that aerobic exercise on the treadmill significantly upregulated the expression and content of central components of the BDNF-serotonin system in different regions of the brain, e.g.…”

Plant-Based Nutritional Supplementation Attenuates LPS-Induced Low-Grade Systemic Activation

“…Acute inflammation can play a protective role by responding to cellular stress signals that result from immune cell activation and the injured tissue [ 37 , 38 ]. Low-level chronic inflammation is typified by the elevation of specific proinflammatory mediators that are associated with many chronic disorders and are important in the pathogenesis of diabetes and obesity, as well as other systemic disorders and even neurological diseases [ 39 ].…”

Immunological Effects of an Add-On Physical Exercise Therapy in Depressed Adolescents and Its Interplay with Depression Severity

“…Schuch et al, in their review on acute and chronic biomarker responses to exercise, found no consistent association between inflammation, exercise, and depression [37], whereas other authors found an influence of physical exercise on the acquired immunity or the kynurenine pathway [20]. In summary, studies are abundant and detailed but not homogeneous [13,19,39,42,[46][47][48].…”