ABSTRACT
The present study uncovered some important and interesting aspects of the genetic and molecular pathways involved in chronic stress–induced depression-like behavior. The authors demonstrated the role of SIRT1 signaling in a particular brain area, the dentate gyrus, with behavioral, structural, and functional relevance. These data provide insight into possible future treatments for depression. The authors focused on modulation of SIRT1 function, especially in the hippocampus, but such effects also need to be explored in other brain regions, including the nucleus accumbens, amygdala and prefrontal cortex, and in other behavioral manifestations of depressive behavior in addition to those induced by chronic stress.
Manipulating SIRT1 activity by pharmacological intervention may be a feasible approach for depression therapy. In addition, SIRT1 deacetylase activity depends on nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide. Nicotinamide, an amide of vitamin B3, can be supplemented through diet. Therefore, epigenetic therapy supplemented with balanced diet could be a potential approach for treating patients with depression.