Chunk #18 — 5. Inflammasome is a key mediator of stress, depression and comorbid illnesses — 5.4. Inflammatory cytokines cause depressive behaviors: possible mechanisms
IL-1β decreases the expression of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and adult hippocampal neurogenesis, which have been linked to susceptibility to depressive behaviors (Banasr and Duman, 2011). IL-1β is also a potent regulator of the serotonin transporter (SERT) (Ramamoorthy et al., 1995; Zhu et al., 2010), and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation of SERT activity and behavioral despair are blocked by inhibition of IL-1R (Zhu et al., 2010). Interestingly, 30% of depressive people who are resistant to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) also have significantly increased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (O’Brien et al., 2007).
