Depression and the implications of the Melatonin system and treatment with Agomelatine: a literature review

Abstract

Depression is one of the major mental illnesses of the century, being one of the major causes of morbidity and disability. Antidepressants (AD) currently on the market seem to increase concentrations of monoamines in the brain (dopamine, noradrenaline and serotonin). However, ADs have unwanted side effects, and this has motivated research on drugs with differentiated mechanisms of action. It is known that in the depressive state the circadian cycle is altered, resulting in damages in the sleep phases and wake, and consequently in the concentrations of melatonin (MEL). MEL is an important hormone related to the synchronization of the circadian cycle, and is closely linked with depressive states and insomnia. With these data, the objective of this work was to investigate through a literature review, the relationship of the melatoninergic system with depression and treatment with agomelatine. As a method, studies related to the descriptors: “depression and melatonin” were searched in the search platforms:”Scielo, PubMed and BVS (lilacs)”. The results obtained show that, of the studies evaluated, they mostly refers to agomelatine, an AD drug analogous to melatonin. AGOM has promising results in clinical and preclinical research to treat problems related to insomnia and depression, representing an innovation in drugs for this therapeutic purpose. It was concluded that the melatoninergic system is closely linked to depressive states and agomelatine presents as a promising drug for the treatment of depression associated with sleep and virile cycle disorders.