We are excited to announce a new publication in Acta Materia Medica journal that sheds light on the significant link between cholestatic liver disease and depressive-like behavior.
The research highlights that individuals suffering from this condition experience higher rates of depression, which markedly decreases their quality of life. This finding emphasizes the pressing need for deeper investigation into how cholestasis triggers clinical depression.
This review offers an in-depth analysis of the neuroendocrine disorders caused by cholestasis and their role in inducing depressive symptoms through both direct and indirect pathways.
First, it delves into how bile acid accumulation within the central nervous system (CNS) during cholestasis damages the blood-brain barrier, triggers neuroinflammation, and leads to neurodegeneration. The review emphasizes that bile acid receptors such as FXR and TGR5 play key roles in this process.
Furthermore, it explores how gut disorders contribute to brain health through various mechanisms by examining the indirect effects of bile acids via the gut-brain axis. These include changes in gut microbiota composition, damage to the intestinal barrier integrity, and alterations in hormone secretion, all of which regulate depression development.
However, there are still unresolved questions about whether bile acids can directly enter the CNS and what specific targets within the gut-brain axis might be suitable for therapeutic intervention. Answering these questions could lead to the creation of more effective treatments aimed at reducing depressive symptoms in cholestatic patients.
