The prevalence of depression is rising year by year. Currently, the pathogenesis is complex and the etiology has not yet been clarified. Brain iron metabolism homeostasis plays an important role in the central nervous system, and its imbalance is closely related to the development of depression and other psychiatric disorders. Clinical and animal studies have shown that both iron overload and iron deficiency can induce depression, while iron deficiency may further lead to cognitive impairment. Nevertheless, current research on iron metabolism and depression is still in the early stages. The mechanism of depression caused by imbalance of brain iron homeostasis has not been fully elucidated. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has demonstrated a significant clinical efficacy in antidepressant treatment, especially in regulating iron metabolism to treat depression. This article reviews the progress of iron metabolism-mediated antidepressant mechanism and its regulation by TCM, which aims to provide new ideas and references for elucidating the mechanism of cerebral iron homeostasis imbalance that leads to depressive disorders as well as the development and utilization of TCM in this field.
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