Accelerated aging in major depression: the role of nitro-oxidative stress

Abstract

Nitro-oxidative stress (NOS) plays a fundamental role in aging, as well as in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders, and major depression (MD). The latter is a very frequent psychiatric illness characterized by accelerated aging, neurodegeneration, high comorbidity with age-related disorders, and premature mortality; all of these conditions find an explanation in an altered redox homeostasis. If aging, neurodegeneration, and major depression share a common biological base in their pathophysiology, common therapeutic tools could be investigated for the prevention and treatment of these disorders. As an example, antidepressants have been demonstrated to present neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory properties and to stimulate neurogenesis. In parallel, antioxidants that stimulate the antioxidant defense systems and interact with the monoaminergic system show an antidepressant-like activity. Further research on this topic could lead, in the near future, to the expansion of the therapeutic possibilities for the treatment of NOS-related disorders.

Figure 1

Inflammation and the impaired antioxid antioxidant defence expose the cell to the detrimental effects of nitro-oxidative stress, thus resulting in the deep molecular and functional alterations underlying depression, aging, and neurodegenerative disorders. BDNF: brain-derived neurotrophic factor.