Study provides evidence of link between isotretinoin and depression
Chris Martin-Bahr/Science Photo Library
Mouse study allowed researchers to separate out effects of acne
on mood |
The first study to demonstrate that giving isotretinoin to mice enhances depression-related behaviours was published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology last month (2006;31:1919).
There is a disputed view that isotretinoin, a synthetic retinoid for
the treatment of severe nodular acne, is linked with depression and suicide;
however, the chemical mechanism by which this might happen has not been
established. Researchers from the University of Bath and the University
of Texas at Austin used an animal model to allow for the separation of
the effects of acne on self-image and mood and the effects of the isotretinoin
itself on depression-related behaviour.
Isotretinoin was administered to young mice at a comparable dose to that
prescribed to human patients. Several behavioural tests were then performed
to ascertain whether the drug altered depression- or anxiety-related
behaviour. Chronic administration of isotretinoin increased the time
the mice spent immobile — a depression-related behaviour — in
a range of tests. The researchers also observed no change in anxiety-related
behaviour or impairment of locomotion or motor co-ordination.
Taken together, say the researchers, these data indicate that the increased
immobility in behavioural despair paradigms is not due to an effect on
motor systems, but results from increased depression-related behaviour.
One of the researchers, Sarah Bailey, from the department of pharmacy
and pharmacology at the University of Bath, commented: “Without
more research it is difficult to say for sure whether the same link applies
to people taking the drug.” However, she added that the laboratory
evidence provides a useful model for future research into isotretinoin
and understanding how this family of compounds affects the brain. |
The
Pharmaceutical Journal
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