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Dowling KF, Dienel SJ, Barile Z, Bazmi HH, Lewis DA. Localization and Diagnostic Specificity of Glutamic Acid Decarboxylase Transcript Alterations in the Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex in Schizophrenia. Biol Psychiatry 2023; 94:322-331. [PMID: 37061080 PMCID: PMC10524522 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2023.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Revised: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 04/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Working memory (WM) deficits in schizophrenia are thought to reflect altered inhibition in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). This interpretation is supported by findings of lower transcript levels of the 2 enzymes, GAD67 and GAD65, which mediate basal and activity-dependent GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) synthesis, respectively. However, the relative magnitude, location within the depth of the DLPFC, and specificity to the disease process of schizophrenia of alterations in GAD67 and/or GAD65 remain unclear. METHODS Levels of GAD67 and GAD65 messenger RNAs (mRNAs) in superficial (layers 2/superficial 3) and deep (deep layer 6/white matter) zones of the DLPFC were quantified by quantitative polymerase chain reaction in subjects with schizophrenia (n = 41), major depression (n = 42), or bipolar disorder (n = 39) and unaffected comparison (n = 43) subjects. RESULTS Relative to the unaffected comparison group, GAD67 and GAD65 mRNA levels in the schizophrenia group were lower (p = .039, effect size = -0.69 and p = .027, effect size = -0.72, respectively) in the superficial zone but were unaltered in the deep zone. In the major depression group, only GAD67 mRNA levels were lower and only in the superficial zone (p = .089, effect size = 0.70). No differences were detected in the bipolar disorder group. Neither GAD67 nor GAD65 mRNA alterations were explained by psychosis, mood disturbance, or common comorbid factors. CONCLUSIONS Alterations in markers of GABA synthesis demonstrated transcript, DLPFC zone, and diagnostic specificity. Given the dependence of WM on GABA neurotransmission in the superficial DLPFC, our findings suggest that limitations to GABA synthesis in this location contribute to WM impairments in schizophrenia, especially during demanding WM tasks, when GABA synthesis requires the activity of both GAD67 and GAD65.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin F Dowling
- Medical Scientist Training Program, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Department of Neuroscience, Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Samuel J Dienel
- Medical Scientist Training Program, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Department of Neuroscience, Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Zackery Barile
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - H Holly Bazmi
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - David A Lewis
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Department of Neuroscience, Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
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Li M, Sun X, Wang Z, Li Y. Caspase-1 affects chronic restraint stress-induced depression-like behaviors by modifying GABAergic dysfunction in the hippocampus. Transl Psychiatry 2023; 13:229. [PMID: 37369673 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02527-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2022] [Revised: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Major depression disorder (MDD) is one of the most common psychiatric disorders and one of the leading causes of disability in worldwide. Both inflammation and GABAergic dysfunction have been implicated in the pathophysiology of MDD. Caspase-1, a classic inflammatory caspase, regulates AMPARs-mediated glutamatergic neurotransmission. However, the role of caspase-1 in chronic stress-induced GABAergic dysfunction remains largely unknown. In this study, we found that serum and hippocampal caspase-1-IL-1β levels increased significantly in chronic restraint stress (CRS) mice, and a significant negative correlation occurred between levels of caspase-1 and depression-like behaviors. Furthermore, CRS significantly decreased GAD67 mRNA levels and GABAergic neurotransmission accompanied by the reduction of GABA concentration, reduced the amplitude and frequency of mIPSCs inhibitory postsynaptic currents (mIPSCs) and the decreased surface expression of GABAARs γ2 subunit in the hippocampus. Genetic deficiency of caspase-1 not only blocked CRS-induced depression-like behaviors, but also alleviated CRS-induced impairments in GABAergic neurotransmission. Finally, reexpression of caspase-1 in the hippocampus of Caspase-1-/- mice increased susceptibility to stress-induced anxiety- and depression-like behaviors through inhibiting GAD67 expression and GABAARs-mediated synaptic transmission. Our study suggests that CRS dysregulates GABAergic neurotransmission via increasing the levels of caspase-1-mediated neuroinflammation in the hippocampus, ultimately leading to depression-like behaviors. This work illustrates that targeting caspase-1 may provide potential therapeutic benefits to stress-related GABAergic dysfunction in the pathogenesis of MDD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingxing Li
- Affiliated Wuhan Mental Health Center, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430012, China.
- Department of Psychiatry, Wuhan Mental Health Center, Wuhan, 430012, China.
| | - Xuejiao Sun
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Zhongnan Hospital, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Zongqin Wang
- Affiliated Wuhan Mental Health Center, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430012, China
- Department of Psychiatry, Wuhan Mental Health Center, Wuhan, 430012, China
| | - Yi Li
- Affiliated Wuhan Mental Health Center, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430012, China.
- Department of Psychiatry, Wuhan Mental Health Center, Wuhan, 430012, China.
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Gene expression studies in Depression development and treatment: an overview of the underlying molecular mechanisms and biological processes to identify biomarkers. Transl Psychiatry 2021; 11:354. [PMID: 34103475 PMCID: PMC8187383 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-021-01469-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2020] [Revised: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
A combination of different risk factors, such as genetic, environmental and psychological factors, together with immune system, stress response, brain neuroplasticity and the regulation of neurotransmitters, is thought to lead to the development of major depressive disorder (MDD). A growing number of studies have tried to investigate the underlying mechanisms of MDD by analysing the expression levels of genes involved in such biological processes. These studies have shown that MDD is not just a brain disorder, but also a body disorder, and this is mainly due to the interplay between the periphery and the Central Nervous System (CNS). To this purpose, most of the studies conducted so far have mainly dedicated to the analysis of the gene expression levels using postmortem brain tissue as well as peripheral blood samples of MDD patients. In this paper, we reviewed the current literature on candidate gene expression alterations and the few existing transcriptomics studies in MDD focusing on inflammation, neuroplasticity, neurotransmitters and stress-related genes. Moreover, we focused our attention on studies, which have investigated mRNA levels as biomarkers to predict therapy outcomes. This is important as many patients do not respond to antidepressant medication or could experience adverse side effects, leading to the interruption of treatment. Unfortunately, the right choice of antidepressant for each individual still remains largely a matter of taking an educated guess.
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Bhattacharyya P, Anand A, Lin J, Altinay M. Left Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex Glx/tCr Predicts Efficacy of High Frequency 4- to 6-Week rTMS Treatment and Is Associated With Symptom Improvement in Adults With Major Depressive Disorder: Findings From a Pilot Study. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:665347. [PMID: 34925079 PMCID: PMC8677827 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.665347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
About 20-40% of estimated 121 million patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) are not adequately responsive to medication treatment. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), a non-invasive, non-convulsive neuromodulation/neurostimulation method, has gained popularity in treatment of MDD. Because of the high cost involved in rTMS therapy, ability to predict the therapy effectiveness is both clinically and cost wise significant. This study seeks an imaging biomarker to predict efficacy of rTMS treatment using a standard high frequency 10-Hz 4- to 6-week protocol in adult population. Given the significance of excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters glutamate (Glu) and gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the pathophysiology of MDD, and the involvement of the site of rTMS application, left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (lDLPFC), in MDD, we explored lDLPFC Glx (Glu + glutamine) and GABA levels, measured by single voxel magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) with total creatine (tCr; sum of creatine and phosphocreatine) as reference, as possible biomarkers of rTMS response prediction. Mescher-Garwood point-resolved spectroscopy (MEGA-PRESS) MRS data from 7 patients (40-74 y) were used in the study; 6 of these patients were scanned before and after 6 weeks of rTMS therapy. Findings from this study show inverse correlation between pretreatment lDLPFC Glx/tCr and (i) posttreatment depression score and (ii) change in depression score, suggesting higher Glx/tCr as a predictor of treatment efficacy. In addition association was observed between changes in depression scores and changes in Glx/tCr ratio. The preliminary findings did not show any such association between GABA/tCr and depression score.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pallab Bhattacharyya
- Cleveland Clinic, Imaging Institute, Cleveland, OH, United States.,Department of Radiology, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Amit Anand
- Cleveland Clinic, Neurological Institute, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Jian Lin
- Cleveland Clinic, Imaging Institute, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Murat Altinay
- Cleveland Clinic, Neurological Institute, Cleveland, OH, United States
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Powers B, Joyce C, Kleinman JE, Hyde TM, Ajilore O, Leow A, Sodhi MS. Sex differences in the transcription of glutamate transporters in major depression and suicide. J Affect Disord 2020; 277:244-252. [PMID: 32836031 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2020.07.055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2019] [Revised: 05/29/2020] [Accepted: 07/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Accumulating evidence indicates that the glutamate system contributes to the pathophysiology of major depressive disorder (MDD) and suicide. We previously reported higher mRNA expression of glutamate receptors in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) of females with MDD. METHODS In the current study, we measured the expression of mRNAs encoding glutamate transporters in the DLPFC of MDD subjects who died by suicide (MDD-S, n = 51), MDD non-suicide subjects (MDD-NS, n = 28), and individuals who did not have a history of neurological illness (CTRL, n = 32). RESULTS Females but not males with MDD showed higher expression of EAATs and VGLUTs relative to CTRLs. VGLUT expression was significantly higher in the female MDD-S group, relative to the other groups. EAAT expression was lower in the male violent suicides. LIMITATIONS This study has limitations common to most human studies, including medication history and demographic differences between the diagnostic groups. We mitigated the effects of confounders by including them as covariates in our analyses. CONCLUSIONS We report sex differences in the expression of glutamate transporter genes in the DLPFC in MDD. Increased neuronal glutamate transporter expression may increase synaptic glutamate, leading to neuronal and glial loss in the DLPFC in MDD. These deficits may lower DLPFC activity, impair problem solving and impair executive function in depression, perhaps increasing vulnerability to suicidal behavior. These data add to accumulating support for the hypothesis that glutamatergic transmission is dysregulated in MDD and suicide. Glutamate transporters may be novel targets for the development of rapidly acting antidepressant therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Powers
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology & Neuroscience, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL 60153, United States
| | - Cara Joyce
- Biostatistics Collaborative Core, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL, United States
| | - Joel E Kleinman
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development and Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Thomas M Hyde
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development and Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States; Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Department of Neurology, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Olusola Ajilore
- Dept. Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Alex Leow
- Dept. Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Monsheel S Sodhi
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology & Neuroscience, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL 60153, United States; Dept. Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States.
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Blacker CJ, Millischer V, Webb LM, Ho AM, Schalling M, Frye MA, Veldic M. EAAT2 as a Research Target in Bipolar Disorder and Unipolar Depression: A Systematic Review. MOLECULAR NEUROPSYCHIATRY 2020; 5:44-59. [PMID: 32399469 PMCID: PMC7206595 DOI: 10.1159/000501885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2019] [Accepted: 07/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Glutamate is implicated in the neuropathology of both major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder. Excitatory amino acid transporter 2 (EAAT2) is the major glutamate transporter in the mammalian brain, removing glutamate from the synaptic cleft and transporting it into glia for recycling. It is thereby the principal regulator of extracellular glutamate levels and prevents neuronal excitotoxicity. EAAT2 is a promising target for elucidating the mechanisms by which the glutamate-glutamine cycle interacts with neuronal systems in mood disorders. Forty EAAT2 studies (published January 1992-January 2018) were identified via a systematic literature search. The studies demonstrated that chronic stress/steroids were most commonly associated with decreased EAAT2. In rodents, EAAT2 inhibition worsened depressive behaviors. Human EAAT2 expression usually decreased in depression, with some regional brain differences. Fewer data have been collected regarding the roles and regulation of EAAT2 in bipolar disorder. Future directions for research include correlating EAAT2 and glutamate levels in vivo, elucidating genetic variability and epigenetic regulation, clarifying intracellular protein and pharmacologic interactions, and examining EAAT2 in different bipolar mood states. As part of a macromolecular complex within glia, EAAT2 may contribute significantly to intracellular signaling, energy regulation, and cellular homeostasis. An enhanced understanding of this system is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caren J. Blacker
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic Depression Center, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Vincent Millischer
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery (MMK), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lauren M. Webb
- Mayo Medical School, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Ada M.C. Ho
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Martin Schalling
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery (MMK), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Mark A. Frye
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic Depression Center, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Marin Veldic
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic Depression Center, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
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Xu S, Liu Y, Pu J, Gui S, Zhong X, Tian L, Song X, Qi X, Wang H, Xie P. Chronic Stress in a Rat Model of Depression Disturbs the Glutamine-Glutamate-GABA Cycle in the Striatum, Hippocampus, and Cerebellum. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat 2020; 16:557-570. [PMID: 32158215 PMCID: PMC7047974 DOI: 10.2147/ndt.s245282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2020] [Accepted: 02/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a complex psychiatric illness involving multiple brain regions. Increasing evidence indicates that the striatum is involved in depression, but the molecular mechanisms remain unclear. METHODS In this study, we performed a gas chromatography-mass spectrometer (GC/MS)-based metabolomic analysis in the striatum of depressed rats induced by chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS). We then compared striatal data with our previous data from the hippocampus and cerebellum to systematically investigate the potential pathogenesis of depression. RESULTS We identified 22 differential metabolites in the striatum between the CUMS and control groups; these altered metabolites were mainly involved in amino acid, carbohydrate, and nucleotide metabolism. Pathway analysis revealed that the shared metabolic pathways of the striatum, hippocampus, and cerebellum were mainly involved in the glutamine-glutamate metabolic system. Four genes in the striatum (GS, GLS2, GLT1, and SSADH), six genes in the hippocampus (GS, SNAT1, GAD1, SSADH, VGAT, and ABAT), and five genes in the cerebellum (GS, ABAT, SNAT1, VGAT, and GDH) were found to be significantly altered using RT-qPCR. Correlation analysis indicated that these differential genes were strongly correlated. CONCLUSION These results suggest that chronic stress might induce depressive behaviors by disturbing the glutamine-glutamate-GABA cycle in the striatum, hippocampus, and cerebellum, and that the glutamine-glutamate-GABA cycle among these three brain regions might generate cooperative action in response to chronic stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaohua Xu
- Department of Neurology, Yongchuan Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 402160, People's Republic of China.,NHC Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment on Brain Functional Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, People's Republic of China.,Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurobiology, Chongqing 400016, People's Republic of China
| | - Yiyun Liu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment on Brain Functional Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, People's Republic of China.,Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurobiology, Chongqing 400016, People's Republic of China
| | - Juncai Pu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment on Brain Functional Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, People's Republic of China.,Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurobiology, Chongqing 400016, People's Republic of China
| | - Siwen Gui
- NHC Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment on Brain Functional Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, People's Republic of China.,Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurobiology, Chongqing 400016, People's Republic of China.,College of Biomedical Engineering, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaogang Zhong
- NHC Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment on Brain Functional Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, People's Republic of China.,Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurobiology, Chongqing 400016, People's Republic of China
| | - Lu Tian
- NHC Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment on Brain Functional Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, People's Republic of China.,Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurobiology, Chongqing 400016, People's Republic of China
| | - Xuemian Song
- NHC Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment on Brain Functional Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, People's Republic of China.,Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurobiology, Chongqing 400016, People's Republic of China.,College of Biomedical Engineering, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, People's Republic of China
| | - Xunzhong Qi
- NHC Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment on Brain Functional Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, People's Republic of China.,Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurobiology, Chongqing 400016, People's Republic of China
| | - Haiyang Wang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment on Brain Functional Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, People's Republic of China.,Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurobiology, Chongqing 400016, People's Republic of China
| | - Peng Xie
- Department of Neurology, Yongchuan Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 402160, People's Republic of China.,NHC Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment on Brain Functional Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, People's Republic of China.,Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurobiology, Chongqing 400016, People's Republic of China.,Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China
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Altered mRNA expressions for N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor-related genes in WBC of patients with major depressive disorder. J Affect Disord 2019; 245:1119-1125. [PMID: 30699855 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2018.12.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2018] [Revised: 11/27/2018] [Accepted: 12/08/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a complex mental disorder. The lack of well-established biomarkers hinders its diagnosis, treatment, and new-drug development. N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) dysfunction has been implicated in the pathogenesis of MDD. This study examined whether expressions of the NMDAR-related genes are characteristic of MDD. METHODS Expressions of NMDAR-related genes including SRR, SHMT2, PSAT1, GCAT, GAD1, SLC1A4, NRG1 and COMT in peripheral WBCs of 110 patients with MDD (25 drug-naïve, 21 drug-free, and 64 medicated patients) and 125 healthy individuals were measured using quantitative PCR. RESULTS The mRNA expression levels of SRR, PSAT1, GCAT, GAD1, NRG1 and COMT were significantly different among the four groups (all p < 0.05). For drug-naïve patients, the ΔΔCT values of SRR, PSAT1, GCAT, GAD1, and NRG1 mRNA expressions were significantly different from those in healthy individuals (all p < 0.05). The ROC analysis of the ΔΔCT values of the target genes for differentiating drug-naïve patients from healthy controls showed an excellent sensitivity (0.960) and modest specificity (0.640) (AUC = 0.889). Drug-free and medicated patients obtained less favorable AUC values while compared to healthy controls. The results for the age- and sex-matched cohort were similar to those of the unmatched cohort. CONCLUSIONS This is the first study demonstrating that the peripheral mRNA expression levels of NMDAR-related genes may be altered in patients with MDD, especially drug-naïve individuals. The finding supports the NMDAR hypothesis of depression. Whether mRNA expresssion of NMDAR-related genes could serve as a potential biomarker of MDD deserves further investigations.
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Weng X, Liu F, Zhang H, Kan M, Wang T, Dong M, Liu Y. Genome-wide DNA methylation profiling in infants born to gestational diabetes mellitus. Diabetes Res Clin Pract 2018; 142:10-18. [PMID: 29596946 DOI: 10.1016/j.diabres.2018.03.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2017] [Revised: 03/01/2018] [Accepted: 03/07/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Offspring exposed to gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) are at a high risk for metabolic diseases. The mechanisms behind the association between offspring exposed to GDM in utero and an increased risk of health consequences later in life remain unclear. The aim of this study was to clarify the changes in methylation levels in the foetuses of women with GDM and to explore the possible mechanisms linking maternal GDM with a high risk of metabolic diseases in offspring later in life. METHODS A genome-wide comparative methylome analysis on the umbilical cord blood of infants born to 30 women with GDM and 33 women with normal pregnancy was performed using Infinium HumanMethylation 450 BeadChip assays. A quantitative methylation analysis of 18 CpG dinucleotides was verified in the validation umbilical cord blood samples from 102 newborns exposed to GDM and 103 newborns who experienced normal pregnancy by MassARRAY EpiTYPER. RESULTS A total of 4485 differentially methylated sites (DMSs), including 2150 hypermethylated sites and 2335 hypomethylated sites, with a mean β-value difference of >0.05, were identified by the 450k array. Good agreement was observed between the massarray validation data and the 450k array data (R2 > 0.99; P < 0.0001). Thirty-seven CpGs (representing 20 genes) with a β-value difference of > 0.15 between the GDM and healthy groups were identified and showed potential as clinical biomarkers for GDM. "hsa04940: Type I diabetes mellitus" was the most significant Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway, with a P-value = 3.20E-07 and 1.36E-02 in the hypermethylated and hypomethylated genepathway enrichment analyses, respectively. In the Gene Ontology (GO) pathway analyses, immune MHC (major histocompatibility complex)-related pathways and neuron development-related pathways were significantly enriched. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that GDM has epigenetic effects on genes that are preferentially involved in the Type I diabetes mellitus pathway, immune MHC-related pathways and neuron development-related pathways, with consequences on fetal growth and development, and provide supportive evidence that DNA methylation is involved in fetal metabolic programming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoling Weng
- Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, PR China; Cancer Institute, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, PR China
| | - Fatao Liu
- Department of General Surgery, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, PR China
| | - Hong Zhang
- Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, PR China
| | - Mengyuan Kan
- Bio-X Center, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, PR China
| | - Ting Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, PR China
| | - Minyue Dong
- Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, PR China
| | - Yun Liu
- Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, PR China; Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, The Ministry of Education, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Fudan University Shanghai Medical College, Shanghai 200032, PR China.
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10
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Luoni A, Riva MA. MicroRNAs and psychiatric disorders: From aetiology to treatment. Pharmacol Ther 2016; 167:13-27. [PMID: 27452338 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2016.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2016] [Accepted: 07/14/2016] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
The emergence of psychiatric disorders relies on the interaction between genetic vulnerability and environmental adversities. Several studies have demonstrated a crucial role for epigenetics (e.g. DNA methylation, post-translational histone modifications and microRNA-mediated post-transcriptional regulation) in the translation of environmental cues into adult behavioural outcome, which can prove to be harmful thus increasing the risk to develop psychopathology. Within this frame, non-coding RNAs, especially microRNAs, came to light as pivotal regulators of many biological processes occurring in the Central Nervous System, both during the neuronal development as well as in the regulation of adult function, including learning, memory and neuronal plasticity. On these basis, in recent years it has been hypothesised a central role for microRNA modulation and expression regulation in many brain disorders, including neurodegenerative disorders and mental illnesses. Indeed, the aim of the present review is to present the most recent state of the art regarding microRNA involvement in psychiatric disorders. We will first describe the mechanisms that regulate microRNA biogenesis and we will report evidences of microRNA dysregulation in peripheral body fluids, in postmortem brain tissues from patients suffering from psychopathology as well as in animal models. Last, we will discuss the potential to consider microRNAs as putative target for pharmacological intervention, using common psychotropic drugs or more specific tools, with the aim to normalize functions that are disrupted in different psychiatric conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessia Luoni
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Marco Andrea Riva
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milan, Italy.
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Kim HK, Nunes PV, Oliveira KC, Young LT, Lafer B. Neuropathological relationship between major depression and dementia: A hypothetical model and review. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2016; 67:51-7. [PMID: 26780170 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2016.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2015] [Revised: 01/10/2016] [Accepted: 01/13/2016] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Major depression (MDD) is a chronic psychiatric condition in which patients often show increasing cognitive impairment with recurring episodes. Neurodegeneration may play an important component in the pathogenesis of MDD associated with cognitive complaints. In agreement with this, patients with MDD show decreased brain volumes in areas implicated in emotional regulation and cognition, neuronal and glial cell death as well as activation of various pathways that can contribute to cell death. Therefore, the aim of this review is to provide an integrative overview of potential contributing factors to neurodegeneration in MDD. Studies have reported increased neuronal and glial cell death in the frontal cortex, amygdala, and hippocampus of patients with MDD. This may be due to decreased neurogenesis from lower levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), excitotoxicity from increased glutamate signaling, and lower levels of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) signaling. In addition, mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress are found in similar brain areas where evidence of excitotoxicity has been reported. Also, levels of antioxidant enzymes were reported to be increased in patients with MDD. Inflammation may also be a contributing factor, as levels of inflammatory cytokines were reported to be increased in the prefrontal cortex of patients with MDD. While preliminary, studies have also reported neuropathological alterations in patients with MDD. Together, these studies suggest that lower BDNF levels, mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, inflammation and excitotoxicity may be contributing to neuronal and glial cell death in MDD, leading to decreased brain volume and cognitive dysfunction with multiple recurrent episodes. This highlights the need to identify specific pathways involved in neurodegeneration in MDD, which may elucidate targets that can be treated to ameliorate the effects of disease progression in this disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helena Kyunghee Kim
- Departments of Psychiatry and Pharmacology, University of Toronto, RM4204, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada.
| | - Paula Villela Nunes
- Bipolar Disorder Program (PROMAN), Department of Psychiatry, University of São Paulo Medical School, Rua Dr. Ovídio Pires de Campos, 785, São Paulo, 3671, Brazil.
| | - Katia C Oliveira
- Bipolar Disorder Program (PROMAN), Department of Psychiatry, University of São Paulo Medical School, Rua Dr. Ovídio Pires de Campos, 785, São Paulo, 3671, Brazil.
| | - L Trevor Young
- Departments of Psychiatry and Pharmacology, University of Toronto, RM4204, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada.
| | - Beny Lafer
- Bipolar Disorder Program (PROMAN), Department of Psychiatry, University of São Paulo Medical School, Rua Dr. Ovídio Pires de Campos, 785, São Paulo, 3671, Brazil.
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12
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Yin H, Pantazatos SP, Galfalvy H, Huang YY, Rosoklija GB, Dwork AJ, Burke A, Arango V, Oquendo MA, Mann JJ. A pilot integrative genomics study of GABA and glutamate neurotransmitter systems in suicide, suicidal behavior, and major depressive disorder. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet 2016; 171B:414-426. [PMID: 26892569 PMCID: PMC4851346 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.b.32423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2015] [Accepted: 01/13/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA) and glutamate are the major inhibitory and excitatory neurotransmitters in the mammalian central nervous system, respectively, and have been associated with suicidal behavior and major depressive disorder (MDD). We examined the relationship between genotype, brain transcriptome, and MDD/suicide for 24 genes involved in GABAergic and glutamatergic signaling. In part 1 of the study, 119 candidate SNPs in 24 genes (4 transporters, 4 enzymes, and 16 receptors) were tested for associations with MDD and suicidal behavior in 276 live participants (86 nonfatal suicide attempters with MDD and 190 non-attempters of whom 70% had MDD) and 209 postmortem cases (121 suicide deaths of whom 62% had MDD and 88 sudden death from other causes of whom 11% had MDD) using logistic regression adjusting for sex and age. In part 2, RNA-seq was used to assay isoform-level expression in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex of 59 postmortem samples (21 with MDD and suicide, 9 MDD without suicide, and 29 sudden death non-suicides and no psychiatric illness) using robust regression adjusting for sex, age, and RIN score. In part 3, SNPs with subthreshold (uncorrected) significance levels below 0.05 for an association with suicidal behavior and/or MDD in part 1 were tested for eQTL effects in prefrontal cortex using the Brain eQTL Almanac (www.braineac.org). No SNPs or transcripts were significant after adjustment for multiple comparisons. However, a protein coding transcript (ENST00000414552) of the GABA A receptor, gamma 2 (GABRG2) had lower brain expression postmortem in suicide (P = 0.01) and evidence for association with suicide death (P = 0.03) in a SNP that may be an eQTL in prefrontal cortex (rs424740, P = 0.02). These preliminary results implicate GABRG2 in suicide and warrant further investigation and replication in larger samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Honglei Yin
- Department of Psychiatry, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China,Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, New York,Division of Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York
| | | | - Hanga Galfalvy
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, New York,Department of Biostatistics, Columbia University, New York, New York
| | - Yung-yu Huang
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, New York,Division of Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York
| | - Gorazd B. Rosoklija
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, New York,Division of Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York
| | - Andrew J. Dwork
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, New York
| | - Ainsley Burke
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, New York
| | - Victoria Arango
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, New York,Division of Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York
| | - Maria A. Oquendo
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, New York,Division of Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York
| | - John J. Mann
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, New York,Division of Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York, Correspondence to: John J. Mann, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY.
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13
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Murakami G, Nakamura M, Takita M, Ishida Y, Ueki T, Nakahara D. Brain Rewarding Stimulation Reduces Extracellular Glutamate Through Glial Modulation in Medial Prefrontal Cortex of Rats. Neuropsychopharmacology 2015; 40:2686-95. [PMID: 25924203 PMCID: PMC4864644 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2015.115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2014] [Revised: 03/16/2015] [Accepted: 03/24/2015] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Growing evidence implicates a critical involvement of prefrontal glial modulation of extracellular glutamate (GLU) in aversive behaviors. However, nothing is known about whether prefrontal glial cells modulate GLU levels in rewarding behaviors. To address this question, we measured GLU efflux in the medial prefrontal cortex (PFC) of rats associated with rewarding behaviors. We used intracranial self-stimulation (ICSS) of the medial forebrain bundle (MFB) as the rewarding behavior. GLU was indirectly measured using microdialysis combined with on-line fluorometric detection of NADH resulting from the reaction of GLU and NAD(+) catalyzed by GLU dehydrogenase with a time resolution of 1 min. ICSS caused a minute-by-minute change of extracellular GLU in the medial PFC, with a slight decrease during the stimulation, followed by an increase afterward. This bidirectional change was tetrodotoxin insensitive and abolished by the gliotoxin fluorocitrate. To confirm and extend the previous studies of aversion-induced increase of extracellular GLU in the medial PFC, we also measured prefrontal GLU efflux associated with an aversive stimulation, immobilization stress. The temporal change in extracellular GLU caused by this stress was markedly different from that observed during ICSS. A rapid increase in GLU was detected during the aversive stimulation, followed by a large increase afterward. This bimodal change was tetrodotoxin insensitive, similar to that detected for ICSS. These findings indicate a bidirectional regulation of extracellular GLU by prefrontal glial cells associated with rat ICSS behavior, and reveal that glial modulation of GLU neurochemistry in the medial PFC contributes to rewarding as well as aversive behaviors in rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gen Murakami
- Division of Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience, Department of Integrated Human Sciences, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan
| | - Masato Nakamura
- Division of Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience, Department of Integrated Human Sciences, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan
| | - Masatoshi Takita
- Cognition and Action Research Group, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Yasushi Ishida
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan
| | - Takatoshi Ueki
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Nagoya, Japan
- Department of Biofunctional Imaging, Medical Photonics Center, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan
| | - Daiichiro Nakahara
- Division of Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience, Department of Integrated Human Sciences, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan
- Department of Biofunctional Imaging, Medical Photonics Center, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan
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Wan Y, Liu Y, Wang X, Wu J, Liu K, Zhou J, Liu L, Zhang C. Identification of differential microRNAs in cerebrospinal fluid and serum of patients with major depressive disorder. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0121975. [PMID: 25763923 PMCID: PMC4357380 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0121975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 142] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2014] [Accepted: 02/05/2015] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Major depression is a debilitating disease. To date, the development of biomarkers of major depressive disorder (MDD) remains a challenge. Recently, alterations in the expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) from post-mortem brain tissue and peripheral blood have been linked to MDD. The goals of this study were to detect the differential miRNAs in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum of MDD patients. First, the relative expression levels of 179 miRNAs (relative high levels in serum) were analyzed by miRNA PCR Panel in the CSF of MDD patients. Then, the differentially altered miRNAs from CSF were further assessed by qRT-PCR in the serum of the same patients. Finally, the serum differentially altered miRNAs were further validated by qRT-PCR in the serum of another MDD patients. The CSF-results indicated that 11 miRNAs in MDD patients were significantly higher than these in control subjects, and 5 miRNAs were significantly lower than these in control subjects. The serum-results from the same patients showed that 3 miRNAs (miR-221-3p, miR-34a-5p, and let-7d-3p) of the 11 miRNAs were significantly higher than these in control subjects, and 1 miRNA (miR-451a) of 5 miRNAs was significantly lower than these in control subjects. The up-regulation of miR-221-3p, miR-34a-5p, let-7d-3p and down-regulation of miR-451a was further validated in another 32 MDD patients. ROC analysis showed that the area under curve of let-7d-3p, miR-34a-5p, miR-221-3p and miR-451a was 0.94, 0.98, 0.97 and 0.94, with specificity of 90.48%, 95.24%, 90.48% and 90.48%, and sensitivity of 93.75%, 96.88%, 90.63% and 84.85%, respectively. In addition, target gene prediction found that the altered miRNAs are involved in affecting some important genes and pathway related to MDD. Our results suggested that differentially altered miRNAs in CSF might be involved in MDD, and serum miR-221-3p, miR-34a-5p, let-7d-3p, and miR-451a might be able to serve as biomarkers for MDD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunqiang Wan
- Department of Anesthesiology and Psychiatry, Affiliated Hospital of Luzhou Medical College, Luzhou, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Yuanhui Liu
- Department of Anesthesiology and Psychiatry, Affiliated Hospital of Luzhou Medical College, Luzhou, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Xiaobin Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology and Psychiatry, Affiliated Hospital of Luzhou Medical College, Luzhou, Sichuan Province, China
- * E-mail:
| | - Jiali Wu
- Department of Anesthesiology and Psychiatry, Affiliated Hospital of Luzhou Medical College, Luzhou, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Kezhi Liu
- Department of Psychiatry, Affiliated Hospital of Luzhou Medical College, Luzhou, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Jun Zhou
- Department of Anesthesiology and Psychiatry, Affiliated Hospital of Luzhou Medical College, Luzhou, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Li Liu
- Department of Anesthesiology and Psychiatry, Affiliated Hospital of Luzhou Medical College, Luzhou, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Chunxiang Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, Rush Medical College, Rush University, Chicago, IL, United States of America
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Abstract
The lateral habenula (LHb) regulates the activity of monoaminergic neurons in the brainstem. This area has recently attracted a surge of interest in psychiatry because studies have reported the pathological activation of the habenula in patients with major depression and in animal models. The LHb plays a significant role in the pathophysiology of depression; however, how habenular neurons are activated to cause various depression symptoms, such as reduced motivation and sleep disturbance, remain unclear. We hypothesized that dysfunctional astrocytes may cause LHb hyperactivity due to the defective uptake activity of extracellular glutamate, which induces depressive-like behaviors. We examined the activity of neurons in habenular pathways and performed behavioral and sleep analyses in mice with pharmacological and genetic inhibition of the activity of the glial glutamate transporter GLT-1 in the LHb. The habenula-specific inhibition of GLT-1 increased the neuronal firing rate and the level of c-Fos expression in the LHb. Mice with reduced GLT-1 activity in the habenula exhibited a depressive-like phenotype in the tail suspension and novelty-suppressed feeding tests. These animals also displayed increased susceptibility to chronic stress, displaying more frequent avoidant behavior without affecting locomotor activity in the open-field test. Intriguingly, the mice showed disinhibition of rapid eye movement sleep, which is a characteristic sleep pattern in patients with depression. These results provide evidence that disrupting glutamate clearance in habenular astrocytes increases neuronal excitability and depressive-like phenotypes in behaviors and sleep.
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