TY - JOUR
T1 - Inflammation as the common biological link between depression and cardiovascular diseases
T2 - Can carnosine exert a protective role?
AU - Caruso, Giuseppe
AU - Fresta, Claudia G
AU - Grasso, Margherita
AU - Santangelo, Rosa
AU - Lazzarino, Giuseppe
AU - Lunte, Susan M
AU - Caraci, Filippo
N1 - Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.
PY - 2019/7/11
Y1 - 2019/7/11
N2 - Several epidemiological studies have clearly shown the high co-morbidity between depression and cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Different studies have been conducted to identify the common pathophysiological events of these diseases such as the overactivation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and, most importantly, the dysregulation of immune system which causes a chronic pro-inflammatory status. The biological link between depression, inflammation, and CVD can be related to high levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6, released by macrophages which play a central role in the pathophysiology of both depression and CVD. Pro-inflammatory cytokines interfere with many of the pathophysiological mechanisms relevant of depression by upregulating the rate-limiting enzymes in the metabolic pathway of tryptophan and altering serotonin metabolism. These cytokines also increase the risk to develop CVD, because activation of macrophages under thispro-inflammatory status is closely associated with endothelial dysfunction and oxidative stress, a preamble to atherosclerosis and atherothrombosis. Carnosine (β-alanyl-L-histidine) is an endogenous dipeptide which exerts a strong anti- inflammatory activity on macrophages by suppressing reactive species and pro-inflammatory cytokines production and altering pro-inflammatory/anti-inflammatory macrophage polarization. This dipeptide exhibits antioxidant properties scavenging reactive species, preventing oxidative stress-induced pathologies such as CVD. In the present review we will discuss the role of oxidative stress and chronic inflammation as common pathophysiological events both in depression and CVD and the preclinical and clinical evidence on the protective effect of carnosine in both diseases as well as the therapeutic potential of this dipeptide in depressed patients with a high co-morbidity of cardiovascular diseases.
AB - Several epidemiological studies have clearly shown the high co-morbidity between depression and cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Different studies have been conducted to identify the common pathophysiological events of these diseases such as the overactivation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and, most importantly, the dysregulation of immune system which causes a chronic pro-inflammatory status. The biological link between depression, inflammation, and CVD can be related to high levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6, released by macrophages which play a central role in the pathophysiology of both depression and CVD. Pro-inflammatory cytokines interfere with many of the pathophysiological mechanisms relevant of depression by upregulating the rate-limiting enzymes in the metabolic pathway of tryptophan and altering serotonin metabolism. These cytokines also increase the risk to develop CVD, because activation of macrophages under thispro-inflammatory status is closely associated with endothelial dysfunction and oxidative stress, a preamble to atherosclerosis and atherothrombosis. Carnosine (β-alanyl-L-histidine) is an endogenous dipeptide which exerts a strong anti- inflammatory activity on macrophages by suppressing reactive species and pro-inflammatory cytokines production and altering pro-inflammatory/anti-inflammatory macrophage polarization. This dipeptide exhibits antioxidant properties scavenging reactive species, preventing oxidative stress-induced pathologies such as CVD. In the present review we will discuss the role of oxidative stress and chronic inflammation as common pathophysiological events both in depression and CVD and the preclinical and clinical evidence on the protective effect of carnosine in both diseases as well as the therapeutic potential of this dipeptide in depressed patients with a high co-morbidity of cardiovascular diseases.
U2 - 10.2174/0929867326666190712091515
DO - 10.2174/0929867326666190712091515
M3 - Article
C2 - 31296155
JO - Current Medicinal Chemistry
JF - Current Medicinal Chemistry
SN - 0929-8673
ER -