Effect of kava (Piper methysticum) on peripheral gene expression among individuals with generalized anxiety disorder: A post hoc analysis of a randomized controlled trial.

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  • Additional Information
    • Source:
      Publisher: Wiley Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 8904486 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1099-1573 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 0951418X NLM ISO Abbreviation: Phytother Res Subsets: MEDLINE
    • Publication Information:
      Publication: : Chichester : Wiley
      Original Publication: London : Heyden & Son, c1987-
    • Subject Terms:
      Kava* ; Anti-Anxiety Agents*/pharmacology ; Anti-Anxiety Agents*/therapeutic use; Humans ; Adult ; Catechol O-Methyltransferase/genetics ; Catechol O-Methyltransferase/therapeutic use ; Phytotherapy ; Anxiety Disorders/drug therapy ; Anxiety Disorders/genetics ; Anxiety/drug therapy ; Anxiety/genetics ; Plant Extracts/pharmacology ; Plant Extracts/therapeutic use ; Gene Expression
    • Abstract:
      Kava is a South Pacific plant-based medicine with anxiolytic properties, but little is known about the impact kava has on gene expression or whether gene expression can serve as a marker of kava response. This study aimed to determine whether kava treatment alters the expression of genes with physiological relevance to anxiety pathophysiology and whether the baseline expression of these physiologically relevant genes modifies the efficacy of kava treatment. In this post hoc analysis, we examined the expression of 48 genes relevant to the pathophysiology of anxiety collected from a double-blind randomized controlled trial that assessed the efficacy of kava treatment in generalized anxiety disorder. Peripheral blood gene expression was measured in 71 (34 kava, 37 placebo) adults at baseline and in 40 (19 kava, 21 placebo) after 8 weeks of treatment by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results revealed that kava decreased the expression of a subunit of the GABA A -rho receptor gene (GABRR2) and catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), a gene related to catecholamine metabolism. Kava efficacy was not found to be modified by baseline (pretreatment) expression of relevant genes. Although these results did not withstand statistical correction for multiple comparisons and require external validation, they support the notion that kava's mechanism of action includes interaction with GABAergic and catecholaminergic systems.
      (© 2023 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)
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    • Grant Information:
      APP1063383 National Health and Medical Research Council; Integria Healthcare; APP1125000 NHMRC Clinical Research Fellowship
    • Contributed Indexing:
      Keywords: gene expression; generalized anxiety disorder; kava
    • Accession Number:
      EC 2.1.1.6 (Catechol O-Methyltransferase)
      0 (Anti-Anxiety Agents)
      0 (Plant Extracts)
    • Publication Date:
      Date Created: 20230928 Date Completed: 20231216 Latest Revision: 20231216
    • Publication Date:
      20231217
    • Accession Number:
      10.1002/ptr.7999
    • Accession Number:
      37767766