Neuroproteomics: Unveiling the Molecular Insights of Psychiatric Disorders with a Focus on Anxiety Disorder and Depression.

Anxiety and depression are two of the most common mental disorders worldwide, with a lifetime prevalence of up to 30%. These disorders are complex and have a variety of overlapping factors, including genetic, environmental, and behavioral factors. Current pharmacological treatments for anxiety and depression are not perfect. Many patients do not respond to treatment, and those who do often experience side effects. Animal models are crucial for understanding the complex pathophysiology of both disorders. These models have been used to identify potential targets for new treatments, and they have also been used to study the effects of environmental factors on these disorders. Recent proteomic methods and technologies are providing new insights into the molecular mechanisms of anxiety disorder and depression. These methods have been used to identify proteins that are altered in these disorders, and they have also been used to study the effects of pharmacological treatments on protein expression. Together, behavioral and proteomic research will help elucidate the factors involved in anxiety disorder and depression. This knowledge will improve preventive strategies and lead to the development of novel treatments.

Effects of L-Dopa, SKF-38393, and quinpirole on exploratory, anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors in pubertal female and male mice.

Adolescence is a phase of substantial changes in the brain, characterized by maturational remodeling of many systems. This remodeling allows functional plasticity to adapt to a changing environment. The dopaminergic system is under morphological and physiological changes during this phase. In the present study, we investigated if changes in the dopaminergic tone alter mice behavior in a receptor and sex-specific manner, specifically at the beginning of the puberty period. We administered L-Dopa, SKF-38393 (D1 dopamine receptor agonist), and Quinpirole (D2 dopamine receptor agonist) and tested male and female mice's motor, anxiety- and depressive-like behavior. While females displayed an impaired exploratory drive, males presented an intense depressive-like response. Our results provide insights into the function of dopaminergic development in adolescent behavior and highlight the importance of studies in this time window with male and female subjects.