Role of oxidative stress in the pathophysiology of bipolar disorder

In this work, we review the studies of oxidative stress markers, showing association with the pathophysiology of bipolar disorder (BD). BD is a prevalent, chronic and highly disabling psychiatric disorder. Several hypotheses have been postulated to explain the exact neurochemical mechanisms underlying the pathophysiology of BD, including a role for monoamines, gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA), glutamate, and second messenger singling pathways. More recently, oxidative stress has been implicated in the pathogenesis of BD. Recent studies have reported increased products of lipid peroxidation and alterations of the major antioxidants enzymes in patients with BD. It has been widely demonstrated that the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) plays a critical role in the pathophysiology of several neuropsychiatric disorders, such BD.