A drug commonly used to treat severe acne can lead to depression-related behavior in mice, according to research published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology by scientists from The University of Texas at Austin and the University of Bath.
The scientists gave 13-cis-retinoic acid, the active ingredient in Accutane, to mice over six weeks and monitored their behavior.
They found these animals spent significantly more time motionless in a range of behavioral tests compared to untreated animals. Experiments were designed to test the natural escape-related behaviors of the mice in mildly stressful situations.
Mice treated with 13-cis-retinoic acid showed less escape-related behavior than control mice, an indication of depression in these animals.
Accutane belongs to a group of chemicals called retinoids. This group includes vitamin A and vitamin A-related compounds known to affect development of the nervous system. For this reason Accutane is not prescribed to pregnant women
“Retinoids have long been studied for their ability to affect the development of the nervous system,” said Lane, a nutritional scientist whose research focuses on retinoids. “However, new evidence suggests that retinoids can alter the function of the adult brain. For example, there is some evidence that high dietary vitamin A may cause psychiatric symptoms such as hysteria.”
Source from:www.utexas.edu