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ABSTRACT: Background
Acylcarnitines have important functions in mitochondrial energetics and ?-oxidation, and have been implicated to play a significant role in metabolic functions of the brain. This retrospective study examined whether plasma acylcarnitine profiles can help biochemically distinguish the three phenotypic subtypes of major depressive disorder (MDD): core depression (CD+), anxious depression (ANX+), and neurovegetative symptoms of melancholia (NVSM+).Methods
Depressed outpatients (n = 240) from the Mayo Clinic Pharmacogenomics Research Network were treated with citalopram or escitalopram for eight weeks. Plasma samples collected at baseline and after eight weeks of treatment with citalopram or escitalopram were profiled for short-, medium- and long-chain acylcarnitine levels using AbsoluteIDQ®p180-Kit and LC-MS. Linear mixed effects models were used to examine whether acylcarnitine levels discriminated the clinical phenotypes at baseline or eight weeks post-treatment, and whether temporal changes in acylcarnitine profiles differed between groups.Results
Compared to ANX+, CD+ and NVSM+ had significantly lower concentrations of short- and long-chain acylcarnitines at both baseline and week 8. In NVSM+, the medium- and long-chain acylcarnitines were also significantly lower in NVSM+ compared to ANX+. Short-chain acylcarnitine levels increased significantly from baseline to week 8 in CD+ and ANX+, whereas medium- and long-chain acylcarnitines significantly decreased in CD+ and NVSM+.Conclusions
In depressed patients treated with SSRIs, ?-oxidation and mitochondrial energetics as evaluated by levels and changes in acylcarnitines may provide the biochemical basis of the clinical heterogeneity of MDD, especially when combined with clinical characteristics.
SUBMITTER: Ahmed AT
PROVIDER: S-EPMC7024064 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Mar
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Ahmed Ahmed T AT MahmoudianDehkordi Siamak S Bhattacharyya Sudeepa S Arnold Matthias M Liu Duan D Neavin Drew D Moseley M Arthur MA Thompson J Will JW Williams Lisa St John LSJ Louie Gregory G Skime Michelle K MK Wang Liewei L Riva-Posse Patricio P McDonald William M WM Bobo William V WV Craighead W Edward WE Krishnan Ranga R Weinshilboum Richard M RM Dunlop Boadie W BW Millington David S DS Rush A John AJ Frye Mark A MA Kaddurah-Daouk Rima R
Journal of affective disorders 20191130
<h4>Background</h4>Acylcarnitines have important functions in mitochondrial energetics and β-oxidation, and have been implicated to play a significant role in metabolic functions of the brain. This retrospective study examined whether plasma acylcarnitine profiles can help biochemically distinguish the three phenotypic subtypes of major depressive disorder (MDD): core depression (CD+), anxious depression (ANX+), and neurovegetative symptoms of melancholia (NVSM+).<h4>Methods</h4>Depressed outpat ...[more]