Does retinoic acid reverse cell cycle dysregulation in Alzheimer's disease lymphocytes?

Cell cycle abnormality is a cellular phenotype in OCD

Abnormal indices of cell cycle regulation have been reported in multiple psychiatric disorders. Though reports specific to Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) are scant, numerous studies have highlighted partly common underlying biology in psychiatric disorders, cell cycle regulation being one such process. In this study, we therefore aimed to explore cell cycle in OCD. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate these effects in OCD. We also evaluated the effect of in vitro fluoxetine, commonly used serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SRI) in OCD patients, on cell cycle regulation. The effects of both disease (OCD) and treatment (SRI) were assessed using lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs), derived from OCD patients and healthy controls, as a model system. LCLs were treated with 10μM of fluoxetine for 24 h, and the percentage of cells in each phase of the cell cycle was determined by flow cytometry. We observed a lower proportion of cells in the G2/M phase in OCD cases than controls. The findings suggest that cell cycle dysregulation could be peripheral cellular phenotype for OCD. Among cases, all of whom had been systematically characterized for SRI treatment response, LCLs from non-responders to SRI treatment had a lower proportion of cells in G2/M phase than responders.

Baseline cell proliferation rates and response to UV differ in lymphoblastoid cell lines derived from healthy individuals of extreme constitution types

Differences in human phenotypes and susceptibility to complex diseases are an outcome of genetic and environmental interactions. This is evident in diseases that progress through a common set of intermediate patho-endophenotypes. Precision medicine aims to delineate molecular players for individualized and early interventions. Functional studies of lymphoblastoid cell line (LCL) model of phenotypically well-characterized healthy individuals can help deconvolute and validate these molecular mechanisms. In this study, LCLs are developed from eight healthy individuals belonging to three extreme constitution types, deep phenotyped on the basis of Ayurveda. LCLs were characterized by karyotyping and immunophenotyping. Growth characteristics and response to UV were studied in these LCLs. Significant differences in cell proliferation rates were observed between the contrasting groups such that one type (Kapha) proliferates significantly slower than the other two (Vata, Pitta). In response to UV, one of the fast growing groups (Vata) shows higher cell death but recovers its numbers due to an inherent higher rates of proliferation. This study reveals that baseline differences in cell proliferation could be a key to understanding the survivability of cells under UV stress. Variability in baseline cellular phenotypes not only explains the cellular basis of different constitution types but can also help set priors during the design of an individualized therapy with DNA damaging agents. This is the first study of its kind that shows variability of intermediate patho-phenotypes among healthy individuals with potential implications in precision medicine.

Lithium response in bipolar disorder correlates with improved cell viability of patient derived cell lines

Lithium is an effective, well-established treatment for bipolar disorder (BD). However, the mechanisms of its action, and reasons for variations in clinical response, are unclear. We used neural precursor cells (NPCs) and lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs), from BD patients characterized for clinical response to lithium (using the "Alda scale" and "NIMH Retrospective Life chart method"), to interrogate cellular phenotypes related to both disease and clinical lithium response. NPCs from two biologically related BD patients who differed in their clinical response to lithium were compared with healthy controls. RNA-Seq and analysis, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), cell viability, and cell proliferation parameters were assessed, with and without in vitro lithium. These parameters were also examined in LCLs from 25 BD patients (16 lithium responders and 9 non-responders), and 12 controls. MMP was lower in both NPCs and LCLs from BD; but it was reversed with in vitro lithium only in LCLs, and this was unrelated to clinical lithium response. The higher cell proliferation observed in BD was unaffected by in vitro lithium. Cell death was greater in BD. However, LCLs from clinical lithium responders could be rescued by addition of in vitro lithium. In vitro lithium also enhanced BCL2 and GSK3B expression in these cells. Our findings indicate cellular phenotypes related to the disease (MMP, cell proliferation) in both NPCs and LCLs; and those related to clinical lithium response (cell viability, BCL2/GSK3B expression) in LCLs.

Association between serum retinoic acid levels and risk of post-stroke depression in patients with ischemic stroke

Previous studies suggest that retinoic acid (RA) can exert neuroprotective function in ischemic stroke. However, its role in post-stroke depression (PSD) has still been unclear. We sought to investigate the relationship between circulating RA levels and PSD in patients with ischemic stroke. From September 2018 to March 2019, we prospectively screened patients with ischemic stroke who were hospitalized within 7 days of symptoms onset. RA levels were measured after admission. All patients were followed up at 3 months after stroke. Diagnosis of PSD was made in line with the Chinese version of Structured Clinical Interview of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition criteria. PSD risk was estimated using multivariable regression models. In total, 352 ischemic stroke patients were enrolled for the final analysis. Up to 3 months after symptoms onset, 102 subjects experienced PSD. PSD patients showed significantly lower RA levels at baseline as compared to non-PSD patients. In univariate logistic analysis, reduced levels of RA was a significant predictor of PSD. These results were further confirmed in multivariate regression additionally controlled for possible relevant confounders. Our study shows that decreased serum RA levels at admission might be associated with 3-month PSD in ischemic stroke patients.