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Clinical Research

Association between the indole pathway of tryptophan metabolism and subclinical depressive symptoms in obesity: a preliminary study

International Journal of Obesity volume 46, pages 885–888 (2022)Cite this article

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Abstract

Converging data support the role of chronic low-grade inflammation in depressive symptomatology in obesity. One mechanism likely to be involved relies on the effects of inflammation on tryptophan (TRP) metabolism. While recent data document alterations in the indole pathway of TRP metabolism in obesity, the relevance of this mechanism to obesity-related depressive symptoms has not been investigated. The aim of this preliminary study was to assess the association between plasma levels of TRP and indole metabolites and depressive symptoms in 44 subjects with severe or morbid obesity, free of clinically relevant neuropsychiatric disorders. The interaction effect of inflammation, reflected in serum high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP) levels, and indoles on depressive symptoms was also determined. Higher serum levels of hsCRP and lower concentrations of TRP and indoles, particularly indole-3-carboxaldehyde (IAld), correlated with more severe depressive symptoms. Interestingly, the effect of high hsCRP levels in predicting greater depressive symptoms was potentiated by low IAld levels. These results comfort the link between inflammation, the indole pathway of TRP metabolism, and obesity-related depressive symptoms.

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Funding

This work was supported by grants from the JPI HDHL Biomarkers for Nutrition and Health (HEALTHMARK, French National Research Agency, ANR- 16-HDHL-0003-03, LC; and Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research, MIUR, CUP D43C17000100006, FM).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Bordeaux, INRAE, Bordeaux INP, NutriNeuro, UMR, 1286, Bordeaux, France

    Inês Delgado, Sofia Cussotto, Sandra Dexpert, Agnès Aubert, Bruno Aouizerate & Lucile Capuron

  2. Department of Food Quality and Nutrition, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach (FEM), San Michele all’Adige, Italy

    Andrea Anesi & Fulvio Mattivi

  3. Centre de référence régional des pathologies anxieuses et dépressives, CH Charles Perrens, Pôle de Psychiatrie Générale et Universitaire, Bordeaux, France

    Bruno Aouizerate

  4. Service de Chirurgie Digestive et Pariétale, Clinique Jean Villar, Bruges, France

    Cédric Beau, Patrick Ledaguenel & Eric Magne

  5. Service de Chirurgie Digestive et Pariétale, Clinique Tivoli, Bordeaux, France

    Damien Forestier

  6. Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, Trento, Italy

    Fulvio Mattivi

Authors
  1. Inês Delgado
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  2. Sofia Cussotto
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  3. Andrea Anesi
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  4. Sandra Dexpert
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  5. Agnès Aubert
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  6. Bruno Aouizerate
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  7. Cédric Beau
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  8. Damien Forestier
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  9. Patrick Ledaguenel
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  10. Eric Magne
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  11. Fulvio Mattivi
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  12. Lucile Capuron
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Contributions

ID and LC conceived and designed the work that led to the submission and were involved in writing the manuscript. ID, SC, BA, AAn, FM, and LC critically contributed to the interpretation of the results. CB, DF, PL, and EM enrolled obese participants in the study and performed the medical examinations. SD performed study inclusions and was involved in patients’ follow up. ID and AAu conducted the ELISAs. ID and SC performed data analysis. AAn and FM performed the targeted metabolomic analyses. All authors critically revised the manuscript, agreed on all aspects of the work, and approved the final version.

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Correspondence to Lucile Capuron.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Delgado, I., Cussotto, S., Anesi, A. et al. Association between the indole pathway of tryptophan metabolism and subclinical depressive symptoms in obesity: a preliminary study. Int J Obes 46, 885–888 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41366-021-01049-0

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