Methylphenidate ameliorates the homeostatic balance between levels of kynurenines in ADHD children
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Molina Carballo, Antonio; Cubero Millán, Isabel; Fernández López, Luisa; Checa Ros, Ana; Machado Casas, Irene; Jerez Calero, Antonio Emilio; Blanca Jóver, Enrique; Cantarero Malagón, Antonio Manuel; Uberos Fernández, José; Muñoz Hoyos, AntonioEditorial
Elsevier
Materia
ADHD Kynurenines Daily rhythms Children
Date
2021-06-17Referencia bibliográfica
Antonio Molina-Carballo... [et al.]. Methylphenidate ameliorates the homeostatic balance between levels of kynurenines in ADHD children, Psychiatry Research, Volume 303, 2021, 114060, ISSN 0165-1781, [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2021.114060]
Sponsorship
Health Research Fund (FIS; Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation) FIS-PI07-0603Abstract
The kynurenine pathway of tryptophan metabolism has been involved in ADHD We quantified basal levels and
daily fluctuations of tryptophan and several kynurenine metabolites, as well as their changes after treatment with
methylphenidate (MPH).
A total of 179 children were recruited, grouped into ADHD (n = 130) and healthy controls (CG,n = 49). Blood
samples were drawn at 20:00 and 09:00 h and only in the ADHD group after 4.63±2.3 months of treatment.
Nocturnal urine was collected between both draws. Factorial analysis (Stata12.0) was performed with Groups,
Time, Hour of Day and Depressive Symptoms (DS) as factors.
MPH significantly increased plasma Kynurenic acid (2.4 ± 1.03/2.78±1.3 ng/mL; baseline/post-treatment,
morning; z = 1.96,p<0.05) and Xanthurenic acid (2.39±0.95/2.88±1.19 ng/mL; baseline/post, morning; z =
2.7,p<0.007) levels, both with higher values in the evening. In DS+ patients, MPH caused a pronounced decrease
in evening Anthranilic acid [3.08±5.02/ 1.82±1.46 ng/mL, z = 2.68,p = 0.0074] until matching values to other
subgroups. In urine, MPH decreased the excretion of both Nicotinamide and Quinolinic acids, but only in the DSsubgroup.
The kynurenine pathway may participate in the highly clinical favorable response to MPH. The observed
changes could be considered as protective (i.e. increased plasma kynurenic acid vs. decreased quinolinic acid
excretion) based on the knowledge of its physiological homeostatic functions.