Publications by authors named "Agata Machaczka"
Background: Preclinical and clinical studies suggest that zinc deficiency and chronic stress contribute to depressive symptoms. Our study explores the intricate relationship between these factors by examining their physiological and biochemical effects across various organs in C57Bl/6J mice.
Methods: The mice were divided into four groups: control, chronic restraint stress for 3 weeks, a zinc-restricted diet (<3 mg/kg) for 4 weeks, and a combination of stress and zinc restriction.
The desire to find a gold-standard therapy for depression is still ongoing. Developing one universal and effective pharmacotherapy remains troublesome due to the high complexity and variety of symptoms. Over the last decades, the understanding of the mechanism of pathophysiology of depression and its key consequences for brain functioning have undergone significant changes, referring to the monoaminergic theory of the disease.
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- The study highlights the role of mGlu5 receptors in various forms of monogenic autism, building on previous findings related to fragile-X syndrome (FXS).
- Researchers developed a method to assess a specific signaling pathway (PI hydrolysis) in mice models of autism, discovering that this pathway was significantly reduced in key brain regions of mice with Angelman syndrome (AS) and FXS.
- The findings suggest that the typical signaling process linked to mGlu5 receptors is impaired in these autism models, marking a significant advancement in understanding the neurobiological aspects of monogenic autism.
Introduction: Major depressive disorder remains a prevalent world-wide health problem. Currently available antidepressant medications take weeks of dosing, do not produce antidepressant response in all patients, and have undesirable ancillary effects.
Areas Covered: The present opinion piece focuses on the major inroads to the creation of new antidepressants.