Metabolic signature in nucleus accumbens for anti-depressant-like effects of acetyl-L-carnitine.
Elife
; 92020 01 10.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-31922486
ABSTRACT
Emerging evidence suggests that hierarchical status provides vulnerability to develop stress-induced depression. Energy metabolic changes in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) were recently related to hierarchical status and vulnerability to develop depression-like behavior. Acetyl-L-carnitine (LAC), a mitochondria-boosting supplement, has shown promising antidepressant-like effects opening therapeutic opportunities for restoring energy balance in depressed patients. We investigated the metabolic impact in the NAc of antidepressant LAC treatment in chronically-stressed mice using 1H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS). High rank, but not low rank, mice, as assessed with the tube test, showed behavioral vulnerability to stress, supporting a higher susceptibility of high social rank mice to develop depressive-like behaviors. High rank mice also showed reduced levels of several energy-related metabolites in the NAc that were counteracted by LAC treatment. Therefore, we reveal a metabolic signature in the NAc for antidepressant-like effects of LAC in vulnerable mice characterized by restoration of stress-induced neuroenergetics alterations and lipid function.
Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Acetylcarnitine
/
Stress, Psychological
/
Antidepressive Agents
/
Nucleus Accumbens
Limits:
Animals
Language:
En
Journal:
Elife
Year:
2020
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Switzerland