Affiliation:
1. CRC Scotland & London, Eccleston Square, London, United Kingdom
2. Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
Abstract
Background:
There is a clear clinical need for a better understanding of the biological underpinnings
of major depressive disorder (MDD), allowing for the development of a treatment that is targeted to pathophysiology.
Recent data indicate a role for the endogenous opioidergic system in MDD. This article reviews the roles
and physiological interactions of the endogenous opioidergic system in the pathophysiology and heterogeneity of
MDD.
Methods:
Articles on the pathophysiology of MDD, as well as on the endogenous opioidergic system and mitochondrial
function, form the basis of this review article.
Results:
The endogenous opioidergic system is intimately linked to wider MDD pathophysiology, including
alterations in the gut microbiome, gut permeability, circadian rhythm, amygdala-prefrontal cortex interactions,
and mitochondrial function. A decrease in the μ-/κ-opioid receptor ratio is an important mediator of the changes
in mood in MDD, with effects not only on neurons, but also on glia and immune cells.
Conclusion:
The endogenous opioidergic system is intimately interwoven with MDD pathophysiology and provides
a relevant target for novel treatment development, as well as providing a focus for the integration of wider
MDD pathophysiology.
Publisher
Bentham Science Publishers Ltd.
Subject
Drug Discovery,Pharmacology
Cited by
7 articles.
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