Medical Center for Dementia, Hospital of the University of Occupational and Environmental Health, 807-8556 Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, Japan.
Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, 807-8555 Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, Japan.
J Integr Neurosci. 2022 Jun 30;21(4):123. doi: 10.31083/j.jin2104123.
There has been increasing evidence that exercise therapy is effective in the treatment and prevention of major depression (MD). However, the basic molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of exercise on MD remain unclear. We conducted a preliminary study to clarify the effect of exercise therapy on MD, focusing on the dynamics of nitric oxide (NO) and catecholamine metabolites, which have been found to be associated with MD.
Eleven outpatients with mild to moderate MD and 37 healthy controls (HC) were included in the study. The participants' clinical records and questionnaires were screened for their past medical history. For their exercise therapy, the participants were instructed to walk the equivalent of 17.5 kcal/kg/week for 8 weeks. Blood samples were collected from all participants at baseline, 4 weeks, and 8 weeks after the start of exercise therapy, and plasma metabolites of NO (NOx), homovanillic acid (HVA), and 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG) were analyzed. We also assessed the 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD-17) in patients with MD. A mixed-effects regression model was used to compare the mean values by time (baseline, 4, and 8 weeks) for the three corresponding groups (NOx, MHPG, and HVA).
HRSD-17 scores decreased significantly in the MD group after 8 weeks of exercise therapy. NOx and MHPG increased, but there was no significant change in HVA in the MD group after the exercise therapy. NOx decreased after exercise, and HVA increased significantly from baseline after 4 weeks of exercise but decreased after 8 weeks of exercise in the HC group.
The effects of exercise on NOx, MHPG, and HVA may differ between MD and HC. The potential mechanisms for the benefits of walking exercise in MD patients will be the subject for future research.
越来越多的证据表明，运动疗法在治疗和预防重度抑郁症（MD）方面是有效的。然而，运动对 MD 影响的基本分子机制尚不清楚。我们进行了一项初步研究，以阐明运动疗法对 MD 的影响，重点关注与 MD 相关的一氧化氮（NO）和儿茶酚胺代谢物的动态变化。
本研究纳入了 11 名轻度至中度 MD 门诊患者和 37 名健康对照者（HC）。对参与者的临床记录和问卷进行了筛查，以了解他们的既往病史。对于运动疗法，我们指导参与者每周行走相当于 17.5kcal/kg 的距离，持续 8 周。在开始运动疗法前、4 周和 8 周后，从所有参与者中采集血样，分析血浆 NO 代谢物（NOx）、高香草酸（HVA）和 3-甲氧基-4-羟苯乙二醇（MHPG）。我们还评估了 MD 患者的 17 项汉密尔顿抑郁量表（HRSD-17）评分。使用混合效应回归模型比较了三个相应组（NOx、MHPG 和 HVA）在时间（基线、4 周和 8 周）上的平均值。
MD 组在 8 周运动疗法后 HRSD-17 评分显著下降。NOx 和 MHPG 增加，但 HC 组在运动疗法后 HVA 没有显著变化。NOx 在运动后下降，HVA 在运动 4 周后较基线显著增加，但在运动 8 周后下降。
运动对 MD 和 HC 患者的 NOx、MHPG 和 HVA 的影响可能不同。未来的研究将探讨步行运动对 MD 患者的潜在益处的机制。
