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A team of researchers establishes a link between depression and low blood levels of acetylcarnitine, naturally absorbed in the body and sold as a nutritional supplement, according to a study published in the journal PNAS.
is based on extensive animal research, paves the way for a new class of antidepressants that could be "more free of side effects and faster action" than those used, according to the One of the main authors, Natalie Rasgon. 19659002] Depression, also called major depressive disorder or clinical depression, is the most common mood disorder in the United States and the world, affecting between 8 and 10 percent of the population
. Is the main reason for absenteeism from work and one of the leading causes of suicide.Worse, current drug treatments are effective only for 50 percent of those prescribed to them, " said Rasgon.
In experiments with rodents, acetylcarnitine deficiency was associated with behavior similar to depression, while oral or intravenous administration of this substance reversed the symptoms in animals and restored normal behavior.
The animals responded to acetylcarnitine supplementation within a few days. On the contrary, current antidepressants took two to four weeks to appear, both in experiments with mice and between patients. "Acetylcarnitine is a crucial mediator of fat metabolism and energy production throughout the body and plays a special role in the brain," says another author, Carla Nasca, Rockefeller University of New York. (United States)
In a parallel analysis of the same team, Nasca and colleagues studied men and women aged 20 to 70 who had been diagnosed with depression.
By comparing their blood samples to those of 45 demographically matched healthy individuals, it was found that patients' blood acetylcarnitine levels were "considerably lower," according to the authors.
A more detailed report showed that the lowest levels were among the participants whose symptoms were more severe, including medical history They indicated that they were resistant to previous treatments or that their onset had been premature .
Acetylcarnitine levels were also lower in patients who reported a history of abuse, neglect, poverty, or exposure to violence in the population. childhood
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