TY  - JOUR
A1  - Gulbins, Erich
A1  - Palmada, Monica
A1  - Reichel, Martin
A1  - Lueth, Anja
A1  - Boehmer, Christoph
A1  - Amato, Davide
A1  - Mueller, Christian P.
A1  - Tischbirek, Carsten H.
A1  - Groemer, Teja W.
A1  - Tabatabai, Ghazaleh
A1  - Becker, Katrin Anne
A1  - Tripal, Philipp
A1  - Staedtler, Sven
A1  - Ackermann, Teresa F.
A1  - van Brederode, Johannes
A1  - Alzheimer, Christian
A1  - Weller, Michael
A1  - Lang, Undine E.
A1  - Kleuser, Burkhard
A1  - Grassme, Heike
A1  - Kornhuber, Johannes
T1  - Acid sphingomyelinase-ceramide system mediates effects of antidepressant drugs
JF  - Nature medicine
N2  - Major depression is a highly prevalent severe mood disorder that is treated with antidepressants. The molecular targets of antidepressants require definition. We investigated the role of the acid sphingomyelinase (Asm)-ceramide system as a target for antidepressants. Therapeutic concentrations of the antidepressants amitriptyline and fluoxetine reduced Asm activity and ceramide concentrations in the hippocampus, increased neuronal proliferation, maturation and survival and improved behavior in mouse models of stress-induced depression. Genetic Asm deficiency abrogated these effects. Mice overexpressing Asm, heterozygous for acid ceramidase, treated with blockers of ceramide metabolism or directly injected with C16 ceramide in the hippocampus had higher ceramide concentrations and lower rates of neuronal proliferation, maturation and survival compared with controls and showed depression-like behavior even in the absence of stress. The decrease of ceramide abundance achieved by antidepressant-mediated inhibition of Asm normalized these effects. Lowering ceramide abundance may thus be a central goal for the future development of antidepressants.
Y1  - 2013
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1038/nm.3214
SN  - 1078-8956
VL  - 19
IS  - 7
SP  - 934
EP  - +
PB  - Nature Publ. Group
CY  - New York
ER  -