Scientific Link Between Acne Treatment And Depression Established By Researchers

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Scientific Link Between Acne Treatment And Depression Established By

Researchers, UK

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=52255

A drug commonly used to treat severe acne can lead to depressive

behaviour in mice, according to research published in the journal

Neuropsychopharmacology.

Since the drug's introduction in the early 1980s there have been

controversial reports of depression and suicidal behaviour that may

have occurred in some people taking Roaccutane.

This has led to the drug's manufacturers, Roche, including a warning

in the product information that taking the medication may cause

depression, psychosis and suicidal behaviour.

However, the chemical mechanism by which this might happen has never

been established.

In new independent research, scientists at the universities of Bath

and Texas at Austin gave Roaccutane to mice over a period of six

weeks, and then monitored the rodents' behaviour.

They found that whilst there was no change in the physical abilities

of the mice, the rodents spent significantly more time immobile in a

range of laboratory assessments designed to test their stress

responsiveness - suggesting that administration of Roaccutane

increases depression-related behaviour in mice.

" Without more research it is difficult to say for sure whether the

same link applies to people taking the drug, " said Dr

from the Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology at the University of

Bath.

" However, establishing a link between the active molecules within the

drug and a change in depression-related behaviour, albeit in mice, is

an important step forward in our understanding of the effects of this

drug in the wider context of brain function.

" To date the only evidence for any link with patients has come from

individual case reports and such patient data is complicated by the

psychosocial effects of having severe acne.

" This laboratory evidence provides a useful model for future research

into Roaccutane and understanding how this family of compounds

affects the brain. "

Roaccutane belongs to a group of medicines called retinoids - vitamin

A-related compounds known to affect development of the nervous

system. For this reason Roaccutane is not prescribed to pregnant

women.

" Previously scientists thought that retinoids were only important in

the development of the nervous system. Now there is a growing

interest in retinoids as regulators of different aspects of brain

function in adults, " said Dr .

" While our research is the first to demonstrate that retinoids are

capable of influencing depression-related behaviours, these compounds

may also play a role in the pathology of Alzheimer's disease and

schizophrenia " .

This research was conducted through a collaboration between Dr.

(Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University of Bath)

and Dr. Lane (Department of Human Ecology, Division of

Nutritional Sciences, at the University of Texas at Austin) and

funded by the University of Texas at Austin.