‘Statins improve efficacy of anti-depressants’

HYDERABAD: Scientists from CCMB have authored a study that provides novel insights on the improved therapeutic activity of anti-depressant drugs when administered with statins. The later is the best-known drug in the market for lowering cholesterol levels.     

CCMB scientists have found a relationship between cholesterol and serotonin (an important G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) embedded in the outer membrane of a cell). “We believe that our findings are crucial in understanding how cholesterol in cell membranes modulates the endocytosis of GPCRs,” explains Amitabha Chattopadhyay, a professor at CSIR-CCMB. 

When the researchers from CCMB treated cells with statin, the best-selling cholesterol-lowering drug in the market, they observed that the serotonin1A receptor, instead of using clathrin-coated pits, internalized through alternate regions called caveolae, which are cave-like structures on the cell membrane.