Translational findings on brain-derived neurotrophic factor and anxiety: contributions from basic research to clinical practice.
OBJECTIVE
Anxious responses are evolutionarily adaptive, but excessive fear can become disabling and lead to anxiety disorders. Translational models of anxiety might be useful sources for understanding the neurobiology of fear and anxiety and can contribute to future proposals of therapeutic intervention for the disorders studied. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which is known for its importance on neuroplasticity and contextual memory, has emerged as a relevant element for emotional memory. Recent studies show that the Val(66)Met BDNF polymorphism correlates with various psychiatric disorders, including anxiety, but there are several differences between experimental and clinical studies.


METHODS
In this work, we review the literature focused on the BDNF Val(66)Met polymorphism and anxiety, and discuss biological findings from animal models to clinical studies.


RESULTS
As occurs with other psychiatric disorders, anxiety correlates with anatomical, behavioral and physiological changes related to the BDNF polymorphism. In animal studies, it has been shown that a significant decrease in regulated secretion from both BDNFVal/Met and BDNFMet/Met neurons represented a significant decrease in available BDNF.


CONCLUSIONS
These studies suggest that developing pharmacological strategies facilitating the release of BDNF from synapses or prolongation of the half-life of secreted BDNF may improve the therapeutic responses of humans expressing the BDNF polymorphism.
Laboratory of Panic and Respiration, Institute of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Anna Claudia
AC
Domingos da Silveira da Luz
Gisele
G
Pereira Dias
Mário Cesar
MC
do Nascimento Bevilaqua
Graham
G
Cocks
Patricia Franca
PF
Gardino
Sandrine
S
Thuret
Antonio Egidio
AE
Nardi
D000818:Animals; D001007:Anxiety / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D051381:Rats; D057170:Translational Research, Biomedical
D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor