Amphetamines abuse and depression: Focus on TRPC channels

Abstract

Amphetamines, such as amphetamine (AMPH), methamphetamine (METH) and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), are the psychotropic substances widely abused in the world. Amphetamines abuse can damage dopaminergic and serotonin neurons and cause neuroinflammation and neurotoxicity. Neuropsychiatric disorders induced by amphetamines abuse include depression, anxiety, auditory hallucinations, mania, and cognitive disorders, of which depression has a higher incidence. Transient receptor potential (TRP) channels can regulate the inflow and outflow of Ca²⁺. In TRP family, transient receptor potential canonical (TRPC) channels are closely associated with the development of some neurological diseases, such as Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease. However, the correlation between TRPC channels and depression and the specific mechanism of TRPC channels in depression still haven't been fully clarified. This review elaborates the pathophysiological mechanisms of depression induced by amphetamines abuse, the functions of TRPC channels in the nervous system, and the possible correlation between TRPC channels and depression induced by amphetamines abuse, which would provide the theoretical basis for the development of the novel and effective therapeutic drugs for amphetamines abuse-induced depression.

Keywords: 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine; Amphetamine; Depression; Methamphetamine; TRPC.