Could depression be linked to our cells' metabolism?

EPFL researchers have discovered a compound that stimulates brain-cell metabolism and reduces signs of depression in mice. The next step will be to test their findings on humans. Chronic stress can be a major cause of depression. The exact mechanism of how that works isn't clear, but the missing link could be found in the metabolic processes of brain cells. Recent studies have shown that stress depletes the brain's energy reserves - paving the way for depression to take hold. That implies the disorder could be treated by reversing the process and stimulating the brain's metabolism. Neurobiologists at EPFL tested this theory on lab mice, and found that giving stressed mice a supplement containing acetyl-L-carnitine - a compound known to stimulate cellular metabolism - reduces the symptoms of depression. The scientists' findings have just been published in in eLife . Acetyl-L-carnitine is naturally found in our bodies and can be purchased as a food supplement. It stimulates the activity of mitochondria, which are our cells' powerhouses. The researchers administered this compound to mice and then measured their resistance to stress. They found that acetyl-L-carnitine reduces the likelihood that mice will exhibit depressive behaviors. Using spectroscopy, the scientists observed that acetyl-L-carnitine stimulates cellular metabolism in a specific area of the brain - the nucleus accumbens - which plays an important role in reward, effort and motivation systems. High-rank mice more likely to get depressed