TY - JOUR

T1 - Systemic DNA and RNA damage from oxidation after serotonergic treatment of unipolar depression

AU - Jorgensen, Anders

AU - Köhler-Forsberg, Kristin

AU - Henriksen, Trine

AU - Weimann, Allan

AU - Brandslund, Ivan

AU - Ellervik, Christina

AU - Poulsen, Henrik E.

AU - Knudsen, Gitte Moos

AU - Frokjaer, Vibe G.

AU - Jorgensen, Martin B.

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2022, The Author(s).

PY - 2022

Y1 - 2022

N2 - Previous studies have indicated that antidepressants that inhibit the serotonin transporter reduces oxidative stress. DNA and RNA damage from oxidation is involved in aging and a range of age-related pathophysiological processes. Here, we studied the urinary excretion of markers of DNA and RNA damage from oxidation, 8-oxodG and 8-oxoGuo, respectively, in the NeuroPharm cohort of 100 drug-free patients with unipolar depression and in 856 non-psychiatric community controls. Patients were subsequently treated for 8 weeks with escitalopram in flexible doses of 5–20 mg; seven of these switched to duloxetine by week 4, as allowed by the protocol. At week 8, 82 patients were followed up clinically and with measurements of 8-oxodG/8-oxoGuo. Contextual data were collected in patients, including markers of cortisol excretion and low-grade inflammation. The intervention was associated with a substantial reduction in both 8-oxodG/8-oxoGuo excretion (25% and 10%, respectively). The change was not significantly correlated to measures of clinical improvement. Both markers were strongly and negatively correlated to cortisol, as measured by the area under the curve for the full-day salivary cortisol excretion. Surprisingly, patients had similar levels of 8-oxodG excretion and lower levels of 8-oxoGuo excretion at baseline compared to the controls. We conclude that intervention with serotonin reuptake inhibitors in unipolar depression is associated with a reduction in systemic DNA and RNA damage from oxidation. To our knowledge, this to date the largest intervention study to characterize this phenomenon, and the first to include a marker of RNA oxidation.

AB - Previous studies have indicated that antidepressants that inhibit the serotonin transporter reduces oxidative stress. DNA and RNA damage from oxidation is involved in aging and a range of age-related pathophysiological processes. Here, we studied the urinary excretion of markers of DNA and RNA damage from oxidation, 8-oxodG and 8-oxoGuo, respectively, in the NeuroPharm cohort of 100 drug-free patients with unipolar depression and in 856 non-psychiatric community controls. Patients were subsequently treated for 8 weeks with escitalopram in flexible doses of 5–20 mg; seven of these switched to duloxetine by week 4, as allowed by the protocol. At week 8, 82 patients were followed up clinically and with measurements of 8-oxodG/8-oxoGuo. Contextual data were collected in patients, including markers of cortisol excretion and low-grade inflammation. The intervention was associated with a substantial reduction in both 8-oxodG/8-oxoGuo excretion (25% and 10%, respectively). The change was not significantly correlated to measures of clinical improvement. Both markers were strongly and negatively correlated to cortisol, as measured by the area under the curve for the full-day salivary cortisol excretion. Surprisingly, patients had similar levels of 8-oxodG excretion and lower levels of 8-oxoGuo excretion at baseline compared to the controls. We conclude that intervention with serotonin reuptake inhibitors in unipolar depression is associated with a reduction in systemic DNA and RNA damage from oxidation. To our knowledge, this to date the largest intervention study to characterize this phenomenon, and the first to include a marker of RNA oxidation.

U2 - 10.1038/s41398-022-01969-z

DO - 10.1038/s41398-022-01969-z

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 35577781

AN - SCOPUS:85130169224

VL - 12

JO - Translational Psychiatry

JF - Translational Psychiatry

SN - 2158-3188

M1 - 204

ER -