OncoPharma Research Group, Center for Health Technology and Services Research (CINTESIS), Rua Doutor Plácido da Costa, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal.
Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar (ICBAS), University of Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal.
Int J Mol Sci. 2022 Jul 31;23(15):8493. doi: 10.3390/ijms23158493.
Depression is a common and serious disorder, characterized by symptoms like anhedonia, lack of energy, sad mood, low appetite, and sleep disturbances. This disease is very complex and not totally elucidated, in which diverse molecular and biological mechanisms are involved, such as neuroinflammation. There is a high need for the development of new therapies and gaining new insights into this disease is urgent. One important player in depression is the amino acid tryptophan. This amino acid can be metabolized in two important pathways in the context of depression: the serotonin and kynurenine pathways. These metabolic pathways of tryptophan are crucial in several processes that are linked with depression. Indeed, the maintenance of the balance of serotonin and kynurenine pathways is critical for the human physiological homeostasis. Thus, this narrative review aims to explore tryptophan metabolism (particularly in the serotonin and kynurenine pathways) in depression, starting with a global overview about these topics and ending with the focus on these pathways in neuroinflammation, stress, microbiota, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor regulation in this disease. Taken together, this information aims to clarify the metabolism of tryptophan in depression, particularly the serotonin and kynurenine pathways.
抑郁症是一种常见且严重的障碍，其特征为快感缺失、缺乏活力、悲伤情绪、食欲不振和睡眠障碍等症状。这种疾病非常复杂，尚未完全阐明，涉及多种分子和生物学机制，如神经炎症。因此，非常需要开发新的治疗方法，迫切需要对这种疾病有新的认识。色氨酸是抑郁症的一个重要参与者。这种氨基酸可以在抑郁症的两种重要途径中代谢：血清素和犬尿氨酸途径。这些色氨酸的代谢途径在与抑郁症相关的几个过程中至关重要。实际上，维持血清素和犬尿氨酸途径的平衡对于人体生理稳态至关重要。因此，本综述旨在探讨抑郁症中的色氨酸代谢（特别是在血清素和犬尿氨酸途径中），首先全面概述这些主题，然后重点关注这些途径在神经炎症、应激、微生物组和脑源性神经营养因子调节中的作用。综上所述，这些信息旨在阐明抑郁症中色氨酸的代谢，特别是血清素和犬尿氨酸途径。
