Mao Peizhong
The Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University, 505 NW 185th Avenue, Beaverton, OR 97006, USA.
Depress Res Treat. 2011;2011:762139. doi: 10.1155/2011/762139. Epub 2011 Jul 7.
Depression is one of the most prevalent and debilitating public health concerns. Although no single cause of depression has been identified, it appears that interaction among genetic, epigenetic, biochemical, environmental, and psychosocial factors may explain its etiology. Further, only a fraction of depressed patients show full remission while using current antidepressants. Therefore, identifying common pathways of the disorder and using that knowledge to develop more effective pharmacological treatments are two primary targets of research in this field. Brain-enriched neurotransmitter CART (cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript) has multiple functions related to emotions. It is a potential neurotrophic factor and is involved in the regulation of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and stress response as well as in energy homeostasis. CART is also highly expressed in limbic system, which is considered to have an important role in regulating mood. Notably, adolescents carrying a missense mutation in the CART gene exhibit increased depression and anxiety. Hence, CART peptide may be a novel promising antidepressant agent. In this paper, we summarize recent progress in depression and CART. In particular, we emphasize a new antidepressant function for CART.
抑郁症是最普遍且使人衰弱的公共卫生问题之一。尽管尚未确定抑郁症的单一病因，但遗传、表观遗传、生化、环境和心理社会因素之间的相互作用似乎可以解释其病因。此外，在使用当前的抗抑郁药时，只有一小部分抑郁症患者能实现完全缓解。因此，确定该疾病的共同途径并利用这些知识开发更有效的药物治疗方法是该领域研究的两个主要目标。大脑富集神经递质可卡因和苯丙胺调节转录物（CART）具有多种与情绪相关的功能。它是一种潜在的神经营养因子，参与下丘脑 - 垂体 - 肾上腺轴和应激反应的调节以及能量稳态。CART在边缘系统中也高度表达，边缘系统被认为在调节情绪方面具有重要作用。值得注意的是，携带CART基因错义突变的青少年表现出抑郁和焦虑增加。因此，CART肽可能是一种新型的有前景的抗抑郁药。在本文中，我们总结了抑郁症和CART的最新进展。特别是，我们强调了CART的一种新的抗抑郁功能。
