Depression-inducing process of body inflammation, identified with biometric imaging technology
Ji Ji-yeon, “Contributing to the diagnosis of infectious depression with viruses such as corona”
Reporter Song Hyun-soo [email protected]
Input: 2021-02-05 19:06:45Revision: 2021-02-05 19:15:39Posted: 2021-02-05 20:24:47
Changes in NFκB activity. It can be seen that it was most activated in the early part of the body and then activated in the latter part of the brain. Provided by KBSI
(From left) Senior Researcher Heo Song-wook and Postdoctoral Researcher Han Young-min. Provided by KBSI
Korea Basic Science Institute (KBSI, Director Shin Hyung-Sik) Seoul Center Dr Song-wook Heo’s research team revealed that the process of causing depression by transferring body inflammation to the brain was revealed through real-time biometric imaging technology.
While clinical studies have reported that patients with inflammatory diseases are more likely to develop depression, it is not known how inflammation causes depression.
For the first time, the research team uncovered the process by which inflammation causes depression through bio-imaging technology.
When our body is stimulated from the outside, it triggers an inflammatory reaction as a protective mechanism.
When a body infection occurs due to viruses or bacteria, an inflammation-promoting reaction occurs by a protein complex called’nuclear factor kappa ratio’ (NFκB).
When the infectious agent is removed through this process, an anti-inflammatory glucocorticoid receptor (GR) protein is expressed.
When the GR protein does not do its job, inflammatory diseases develop.
The research team developed a high-sensitivity sensor that targets NFκB and GR proteins to emit light, injects them into the brains of living animals, induces inflammation, and then measures protein activity.
It was confirmed that NFκB was activated in the early 1 to 6 hours after administration to promote the inflammatory response.
At this time, pain was confirmed through behavioral experiments, but there was no inflammatory reaction or depression in the brain.
In the middle (6-10 hours), it was found that the inflammatory response was suppressed through the GR protein sensor. The brain also had no singularities found.
However, in the second half (10-12 hours), NFκB was activated in the frontal lobe of the brain, and it was found that body inflammation has transferred to the brain.
The GR protein, which inhibits inflammation, was also activated, but it failed to function and the inflammatory response continued in the brain.
It was also confirmed that depressive symptoms appeared in animal models.
The research team succeeded in real-time imaging of the inflammatory phenomenon while anesthetizing live animals using its own’luminescent fluorescent laboratory animal imaging system’ equipment.
Jeonnam Medical University professor Kim Jae-min, who conducted the joint research, said, “It will contribute to the diagnosis and treatment of inflammatory depression caused by the Corona 19 virus.”
The results of this study were published in the January 21 issue of the international journal Molecular Psychiatry.
Reporter Song Hyun-soo [email protected]