The Fundamental Role of Oxytocin in The Treatment of Human Depression
Recent advances in Psychoneuroendocrinoimmunology have suggested that the serotonin deficiency associated with depression is the simple consequence of an enhanced activity of indole-2,3-dioxygenase (IDO), which transforms tryptophan into kynurenine instead of serotonin. Moreover, kynurenine, in addition to its neurotoxic action, has been shown to play an immunosuppressive activity by activating regulatory T lymphocytes (T reg). IDO expression is stimulated by IL-17, whose brain production appears to be under the regulatory control of the ACE-ACE2 system. An increased expression of ACE over ACE2 allows enhanced production of angiotensin II (Ang II) instead of angiotensin 1-7 (Ang 1-7). Ang II stimulates IL-17 secretion from glial cells, and IL-17 promotes the release of other inflammatory ...
