Volume 8 No 4 (2010)
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The Interactome Hypothesis of Depression
Massimo Cocchi, Fabio Gabrielli , Lucio Tonello , Massimo Pregnolato
Abstract
It has long been known that the most important function of platelets is to stop
the flow of blood from wounds with the help of a set of enzymes, proteins, and
lipids supporting complex metabolic clot‐forming mechanisms. It is also known
that there are close correlations, both enzymatic and metabolic, between
platelets and nerve cells with respect to the metabolism of several
neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine, GABA, etc. Platelets, which
serve an historic role as biological markers in psychiatry, can in fact be regarded
as virtual "circulating neurons" or "brain ambassadors” that may offer a
significant advantage in understanding the neurophysiology of psychiatric
disorders including depression. Critical points of potential specific linkage
between platelets and depression include serotonin and membrane platelet
fatty acids in relation to the cytoskeletal quantum‐nanowire network. This
paper advances an “interactome” hypothesis of possible connections among
enterochromaffin cells, serotonin, platelets and cytoskeletal proteins related to
brain neurons with implications regarding the genesis of depressive
psychopathology.
Keywords
brain neurons, serotonin, enterochromaffin cells, platelets, fatty acids, cytoskeletal proteins, modified membrane fluidity, arachidonic acid, post‐synaptic density interactome, cytoskeletal quantum‐nanowire network
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