Neuroprotective effects of psychotropic drugs in Huntington's disease.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to evaluate the neuroprotective and disease-modifying effects of melatonin in preclinical models of Huntington's disease (HD).
Results Summary
Melatonin demonstrated mitochondrial protection, downregulated apoptosis, delayed disease onset, and extended survival in HD live mouse models. However, these findings await replication and clinical validation.
Population
Preclinical models (live mouse models) of Huntington's disease.
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
Not specified
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
lithium | increase | huntingtin autophagy | HD preclinical models | - | upregulated | #1 |
lithium, valproate, lamotrigine | increase | histone acetylation | HD preclinical models | - | upregulated | #2 |
lithium-plus-valproate | increase | miR-222 | HD preclinical models | - | upregulated | #3 |
haloperidol, trifluoperazine, imipramine, desipramine, nortriptyline, maprotiline, trazodone, sertraline, venlafaxine, melatonin | increase | mitochondrial protection | HD preclinical models | - | neuroprotective effects include | #4 |
lithium, valproate, fluoxetine, sertraline | increase | neurogenesis | HD preclinical models | - | neuroprotective effects include | #5 |
lithium, valproate, sertraline | increase | BDNF | HD preclinical models | - | neuroprotective effects include | #6 |
lithium | decrease | AP-1 DNA binding | HD preclinical models | - | downregulated | #7 |
lithium | decrease | p53 | HD preclinical models | - | downregulated | #8 |
antipsychotics, lithium | decrease | huntingtin aggregation | HD preclinical models | - | downregulated | #9 |
trifluoperazine, loxapine, lithium, desipramine, nortriptyline, maprotiline, cyproheptadine, melatonin | decrease | apoptosis | HD preclinical models | - | downregulated | #10 |
nortriptyline, melatonin | decrease | disease onset | HD live mouse models | - | delayed | #11 |
haloperidol, tetrabenazine, lithium, sertraline | increase | striatal preservation | HD live mouse models | - | striatal preservation | #12 |
imipramine, trazodone, fluoxetine, sertraline, venlafaxine | increase | memory preservation | HD live mouse models | - | memory preservation | #13 |
tetrabenazine, lithium, valproate, imipramine, nortriptyline, trazodone, sertraline, venlafaxine | increase | motor improvement | HD live mouse models | - | motor improvement | #14 |
lithium, valproate, sertraline, melatonin | increase | survival | HD live mouse models | - | extended | #15 |
valproate, dextromethorphan | increase | CREB binding protein (CBP) | - | - | upregulated | #16 |
valproate | decrease | histone deacetylase (HDAC) | - | - | downregulated | #17 |
tetrabenazine | increase | striatal neuroprotection and phenotypic disease modification | transgenic mice | - | promising findings involve replicated striatal neuroprotection and phenotypic disease modification | #18 |
sertraline | increase | striatal neuroprotection and phenotypic disease modification | transgenic mice | - | promising findings involve replicated striatal neuroprotection and phenotypic disease modification | #19 |
lithium | decrease | disease progression | uncontrolled case series (n = 3) | - | suggesting non-progression | #20 |
lamotrigine | no change | clinical trial outcomes | double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial | - | primarily negative | #21 |
Psychotropics (antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, antidepressants, anxiolytics, etc.) are commonly prescribed to treat Huntington's disease (HD). In HD preclinical models, while no psychotropic has convincingly affected huntingtin gene, HD modifying gene, or huntingtin protein expression, psychotropic neuroprotective effects include upregulated huntingtin autophagy (lithium), histone acetylation (lithium, valproate, lamotrigine), miR-222 (lithium-plus-valproate), mitochondrial protection (haloperidol, trifluoperazine, imipramine, desipramine, nortriptyline, maprotiline, trazodone, sertraline, venlafaxine, melatonin), neurogenesis (lithium, valproate, fluoxetine, sertraline), and BDNF (lithium, valproate, sertraline) and downregulated AP-1 DNA binding (lithium), p53 (lithium), huntingtin aggregation (antipsychotics, lithium), and apoptosis (trifluoperazine, loxapine, lithium, desipramine, nortriptyline, maprotiline, cyproheptadine, melatonin). In HD live mouse models, delayed disease onset (nortriptyline, melatonin), striatal preservation (haloperidol, tetrabenazine, lithium, sertraline), memory preservation (imipramine, trazodone, fluoxetine, sertraline, venlafaxine), motor improvement (tetrabenazine, lithium, valproate, imipramine, nortriptyline, trazodone, sertraline, venlafaxine), and extended survival (lithium, valproate, sertraline, melatonin) have been documented. Upregulated CREB binding protein (CBP; valproate, dextromethorphan) and downregulated histone deacetylase (HDAC; valproate) await demonstration in HD models. Most preclinical findings await replication and their limitations are reviewed. The most promising findings involve replicated striatal neuroprotection and phenotypic disease modification in transgenic mice for tetrabenazine and for sertraline. Clinical data consist of an uncontrolled lithium case series (n = 3) suggesting non-progression and a primarily negative double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial of lamotrigine.