The role of interactions between brain neurotransmitters in pathophysiology and treatment of affective disorders

Aim of the review is to summarize the contemporary evidences on interactions between brain neurotransmitters and their role in pathophysiology and treatment of depression. Introduction. Brain neurotransmitters are biological molecules responsible for signal transduction between the neurons. Mammalian brain neurotransmitters belong to the different types of biological molecules, such as amino acids (glutamate and γ-aminobutyric acid, or GABA), monoamines (serotonin (5-HT), norepinephrine (NE), dopamine (DA), and histamine (HA)), neuropeptides (β-endorphin, neurokinin, vasopressin, and oxytocin), or nucleotides (adenosine). Materials and Methods. The author analyzes research papers dedicated to neurotransmitters and their functions in mood regulation and published between 1953 and 2014. The paper focuses on evaluation of data on mechanisms of interactions between different neurotransmitters and their role in development and treatment of certain mental disorders. Results. It has been reported that different neurotransmitters, often belonging to the different types of biological molecules, interact on behavioral, functional, system and molecular levels. These interactions play an important role in pathophysiology of brain diseases, particularly, depression and stress and anxiety-related disorders. Conclusion. Literally all existing antidepressant drugs act on monoamine systems of the brain (5-HT, NE, and DA). Although the last-generation antidepressants and mood stabilizers demonstrated higher safety and efficacy, their therapeutic potential remains limited. The brain adenosine neurotransmission is also a potential target for the future antidepressant, mood stabilizing and antipsychotic drugs. However, these drugs may have severe side effects, for example, on cardiac activity. It is necessary to perform further research and clinical trials to find a solution to the existing difficulties.