Vitamin E for the management of major depressive disorder: possible role of the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant systems

ABSTRACT

Objectives

Vitamin E has various functions in humans, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and anti-atherogenic actions, as well as direct effects on enzymatic activities and modulation of gene transcription. In addition to these functions, vitamin E is also important for the central nervous system, and its role in the prevention and/or treatment of some neurological diseases has been suggested. In particular, the role of vitamin E in the modulation of major depressive disorder (MDD) is an issue that has emerged in recent studies. Many factors have been implicated in the pathophysiology of this disorder, including inflammation, oxidative, and nitrosative stress.

Methods

This narrative review discusses the involvement of inflammation, oxidative, and nitrosative stress in the pathophysiology of MDD and presents clinical and preclinical studies that correlate vitamin E with this psychiatric disorder.

Results

We gathered evidence from clinical studies that demonstrated the relationship between low vitamin E status and MDD symptoms. Vitamin E has been reported to exert a beneficial influence on the oxidative and inflammatory status of individuals, factors that may account for the attenuation of depressive symptoms. Preclinical studies have reinforced the antidepressant-like response of vitamin E, and the mechanisms underlying its effect seem to be related to the modulation of oxidative stress and neuroinflammation.

Conclusion

We suggest that vitamin E has potential to be used as an adjuvant for the management of MDD, but more studies are clearly needed to ascertain the efficacy of vitamin E for alleviating depressive symptoms.

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

KEYWORDS:

• Vitamin E
• depression
• inflammation
• oxidative stress
• antidepressant agents
• alpha-tocopherol
• antioxidant
• anti-inflammatory

Acknowledgments

The authors thank funding agencies Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) and Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Ensino Superior (CAPES) by the financial support. Ana Lúcia S. Rodrigues and Alcir L. Dafre are CNPq Research Fellows, and Anderson Camargo is CAPES fellow.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Ethics approval

None.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq); and Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES).

Notes on contributors

Luana M. Manosso

Luana M. Manosso obtained her master's degree in Neuroscience at the Federal University of Santa Catarina and her PhD in Biochemistry at Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil. She is professor in Esucri college and VP Functional Nutrition Center / Cruzeiro do Sul University.

Anderson Camargo

Anderson Camargo holds a master's degree in Neuroscience at the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC). Currently, he is a Ph.D. student in the Neuroscience Postgraduate Program, at the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC). He researches the signaling pathways underlying the neurobiology of depression and novel targets for antidepressant responses.

Alcir L. Dafre

Alcir L. Dafre obtained his Ph.D. in Physiology at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Full Professor at the Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil, where he is the Cell Defenses Lab. team leader. The main research areas include unraveling the role of antioxidant defenses across species, with special emphasis on the glutathione and thioredoxin systems. The disrupting effects of metals, and the role of glutathione and vitamins, has been addressed in models of depression and neurodegenerative diseases. More recently, methylglyoxal was shown to deplete cerebral cortex dopamine, inducing depressive-like behavior in mice.

Ana Lúcia S. Rodrigues

Ana Lúcia S. Rodrigues obtained her master's degree in Biochemistry at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul and her PhD in Biochemistry at Federal University of Paraná, Brazil. She is full professor in Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil where she is the team leader of the Neurobiology of Depression Laboratory. Her research interests are to gain a better understanding on the neurobiological mechanisms underlying the antidepressant effects of several compounds in animal models of depression. Alterations in the intracellular signal transduction pathways associated with these models and modulated by these compounds are particularly focused on her current research.