Schnell Anna, Albrecht Urs, Sandrelli Federica
Department of Biology, Unit of Biochemistry, University of Fribourg.
Behav Neurosci. 2014 Jun;128(3):326-43. doi: 10.1037/a0035883. Epub 2014 Mar 24.
Mood disorders are multifactorial and heterogeneous diseases caused by the interplay of several genetic and environmental factors. In humans, mood disorders are often accompanied by abnormalities in the organization of the circadian system, which normally synchronizes activities and functions of cells and tissues. Studies on animal models suggest that the basic circadian clock mechanism, which runs in essentially all cells, is implicated in the modulation of biological phenomena regulating affective behaviors. In particular, recent findings highlight the importance of the circadian clock mechanisms in neurological pathways involved in mood, such as monoaminergic neurotransmission, hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis regulation, suprachiasmatic nucleus and olfactory bulb activities, and neurogenesis. Defects at the level of both, the circadian clock mechanism and system, may contribute to the etiology of mood disorders. Modification of the circadian system using chronotherapy appears to be an effective treatment for mood disorders. Additionally, understanding the role of circadian clock mechanisms, which affect the regulation of different mood pathways, will open up the possibility for targeted pharmacological treatments.
情绪障碍是由多种遗传和环境因素相互作用引起的多因素、异质性疾病。在人类中，情绪障碍常伴有昼夜节律系统组织异常，而昼夜节律系统通常会使细胞和组织的活动与功能同步。对动物模型的研究表明，基本的昼夜节律时钟机制存在于基本上所有细胞中，与调节情感行为的生物现象的调节有关。特别是，最近的研究结果突出了昼夜节律时钟机制在涉及情绪的神经通路中的重要性，如单胺能神经传递、下丘脑 - 垂体 - 肾上腺轴调节、视交叉上核和嗅球活动以及神经发生。昼夜节律时钟机制和系统层面的缺陷可能导致情绪障碍的病因。使用时间疗法对昼夜节律系统进行调节似乎是治疗情绪障碍的有效方法。此外，了解影响不同情绪通路调节的昼夜节律时钟机制的作用，将为有针对性的药物治疗开辟可能性。
