Recent studies clearly showed that neurogenesis continued to occur in the certain brain regions including hippocampus. The stem or progenitor cells are divided equally(proliferation)or unequally, survive apoptosis and differentiate to mature neuron and glia. Such newborn cells integrate into existing neuronal networks,make synaptic contacts and finally change the plasticity. The proliferation is decreased by stress, but chronic treatment of antidepressants increases it. We have shown the involvement of cAMP-CREB cascade in mature granule cells of dentate gyrus(DG)around stem/progenitor cells in the drug action. And to see the direct effect of some psychotropic drugs,we established the culture system of adult rat DG-derived neural precursor cell(ADP). Several antidepressants did not affect the proliferation. Moreover 5-HT did not promote the proliferation of ADPs. On the other hand, noradrenaline and lithium directly increase the proliferation. Further investigation is needed to develop new antidepressant drugs.
Involvement of Neurogenesis in the Action of Psychotropic Drugs
Department of Psychiatry, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine
Psychiatria et Neurologia Japonica
112: 992-997, 2010
<Keywords:neuronal stem cell, hippocampus, antidepressant, depression, stabilizer>