The neurotransmitters imbalance in participants receive cytotoxic agents

Abstract

Author(s): Emad Hazim Mhmood*

Neurotransmitters are endogenous chemical compounds that have the ability for neurotransmission and play a major role in shaping everyday life and functions. Cytotoxic drugs are a type of cancer and other diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, SLE, and different autoimmune syndromes treatment that utilize one or more chemotherapeutic agents as part of a regimen. The study aims are to calculate levels of neurotransmitters in patients receiving cytotoxic drugs and determined the effect of these agents on NTs concentration before and after. A prospective comparison study carried out before and after receives cytotoxic treatment for a period of three months from June 2020 to September 2020. Assessments of the studied samples will be conducted as a baseline before and after receiving drugs. A total of 50 participants were involved in the study. The blood samples were collected about 5 ml and diluted in the concentrated washing solution. The neurotransmitters evaluated are Adrenaline, Acetylcholine, Dopamine, Histamine, Glutamate, GABA, Serotonin, and Somatostatin. The mean age of the sample of the study was 49.28 ± 12.44. Patients with comorbidity conditions were 60%. The mean acetylcholine concentration pre and post receiving cytotoxic drugs was relatively not altering. Cytotoxic agents affected the mean epinephrine concentration, which was directly dropping to half. There was a decline of concentration of somatostatin post treatment compared with pre (from 33.83 ± 9.78 ng/L to 8.4 ± 2.66 ng/L), with a significant association (t-test=2.3, p=0.028). The mean concentration of dopamine pre was relatively unchanged from post-treatment. There was no differences association between pre and post mean level of histamine in this study. In this study, we found a high level of glutamine in the pre-phase (2025.4 ± 753.7 μmol/L), but it converted to normal level post treatment, with statistically significant differences (t-test=9.051, p<0.000). GABA concentration, the pre was above the normal range (1.31 ± 0.18 mumol/l), while the post was within normal, this dropping curve was statistically significant differences (t-test=9.442, p<0.000). There was a slight decrease in serotonin level among pre to post (from 366.6 ± 237.72 ng/mL to 298.77 ± 231.8 ng/mL), but these changes not significant. In conclusion, the NTs concentration may be altered by the administration of cytotoxic drugs in chronic diseases in a different pattern either decrease or return to normal.

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