Autophagy as mechanism of action of psychoactive drugs
Year: 2015
Type: article
Abstract: 4 Increased levels of autophagy result in decreased levels of inflammatory cytokines and inflammation. Many psychoactive drugs used in the treatment of several mental illnesses activate autophagy, some of them quite strongly. A number of anti-psychotic drugs, including trifluoperazine and chlorpromazine, increased autophagy in an in vitro neuronal cell culture model four-fold, as did the antihistamine and sedative promethazine. 5 Other psychoactive drugs in this model also increased autophagy, although not as strongly, and a few showed no increase. Lithium has been used for decades in the treatment of bipolar disorder and in depression. Recently, it's been found that lithium increases lifespan in the nematode C. elegans , and lithium in drinking water is associated with increased lifespan in humans. 6 Lithium promotes autophagy in an mTOR-independent manner 7 , and this is likely to be its mechanism of action in extending lifespan in C. elegans . Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are used in the treatment of depression. At least one SSRI, citalopram, has been found to increase autophagy in neurons. 8
Source: The Winnower
Author: P. D. Mangan
Language: English
Subfield: Cell Biology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W579133688