Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34072767›Full record

ReviewInternational journal of molecular sciences2021

Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines: Potential Links between the Endocannabinoid System and the Kynurenine Pathway in Depression.

Ferenc Zádor, Sâmia Joca, Gábor Nagy-Grócz, Szabolcs Dvorácskó, Edina Szűcs, Csaba Tömböly, Sándor Benyhe, László Vécsei

Open access · goldAbstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in International journal of molecular sciences, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 44 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
44citing papers in PubMed
2.7field-weighted citation impact, top 9% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

44 citing papers in PubMed, 64 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
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  11. Interaction of Hypoxia and Kynurenine Pathway in Periodontal Inflammation.International journal of tryptophan research : IJTR · 2026
    Article
  12. Review
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  19. Biomarkers of cognitive and memory decline in psychotropic drug users.Journal of neural transmission (Vienna, Austria : 1996) · 2025
    Review
  20. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Ferenc ZádorInstitute of Biochemistry, Biological Research Center, H-6726 Szeged, Hungary.
Sâmia JocaDepartment of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.ORCID 0000-0003-0255-5889
Gábor Nagy-GróczFaculty of Health Sciences and Social Studies, University of Szeged, H-6726 Szeged, Hungary.
Szabolcs DvorácskóInstitute of Biochemistry, Biological Research Center, H-6726 Szeged, Hungary.
Edina SzűcsInstitute of Biochemistry, Biological Research Center, H-6726 Szeged, Hungary.
Csaba TömbölyInstitute of Biochemistry, Biological Research Center, H-6726 Szeged, Hungary.ORCID 0000-0002-2609-2498
Sándor BenyheInstitute of Biochemistry, Biological Research Center, H-6726 Szeged, Hungary.ORCID 0000-0002-2235-5334
László VécseiAlbert Szent-Györgyi Clinical Center, Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, H-6725 Szeged, Hungary.
University of Szeged · HUHUN-REN Szegedi Biológiai Kutatóközpont · HUAarhus University · DK

Funding

Aarhus Universitets Forskningsfond AUFFEFOP EFOP-3.6.1-16-2016-00008Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo 17/24304-0István Széchenyi University TUDFO/47138-1/2019-ITMNew National Excellence Program of the Ministry for Innovation and Technology from the source of the National Research, Development and Innovation Fund ÚNKP-20-4Széchenyi 2020 GINOP 2.3.2-15-2016-00034.
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Substance use/abuse is one of the main causes of depressive symptoms. Cannabis and synthetic cannabinoids in particular gained significant popularity in the past years. There is an increasing amount of clinical data associating such compounds with the inflammatory component of depression, indicated by the up-regulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Pro-inflammatory cytokines are also well-known to regulate the enzymes of the kynurenine pathway (KP), which is responsible for metabolizing tryptophan, a precursor in serotonin synthesis. Enhanced pro-inflammatory cytokine levels may over-activate the KP, leading to tryptophan depletion and reduced serotonin levels, which can subsequently precipitate depressive symptoms. Therefore, such mechanism might represent a possible link between the endocannabinoid system (ECS) and the KP in depression, via the inflammatory and dysregulated serotonergic component of the disorder. This review will summarize the data regarding those natural and synthetic cannabinoids that increase pro-inflammatory cytokines. Furthermore, the data on such cytokines associated with KP activation will be further reviewed accordingly. The interaction of the ECS and the KP has been postulated and demonstrated in some studies previously. This review will further contribute to this yet less explored connection and propose the KP to be the missing link between cannabinoid-induced inflammation and depressive symptoms.

Indexed as

AnimalsBiomarkersCytokinesDepressionDisease SusceptibilityEndocannabinoidsHumansInflammationInflammation MediatorsKynurenineMetabolic Networks and PathwaysSerotoninSignal TransductionBiomarkersCytokinesEndocannabinoidsInflammation MediatorsKynurenineSerotonincannabisdepressionendocannabinoid systemkynurenine pathwaykynureninespro-inflammatory cytokinessynthetic cannabinoids

Identifiers

PMID34072767
PMCPMC8199129
OpenAlexW3164506336

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.