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Zou Z, Huang Y, Maes M, Wang J, He Y, Min W, Zhou B. Effects of antidepressant on FKBP51 mRNA expression and neuroendocrine hormones in patients with panic disorder. BMC Psychiatry 2024; 24:269. [PMID: 38600448 PMCID: PMC11005249 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-024-05704-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of escitalopram on the peripheral expression of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis-related genes (FKBP51, HSP90, NR3C1 and POMC) and HPA-axis hormones in patients with panic disorder (PD). METHODS Seventy-seven patients with PD were treated with escitalopram for 12 weeks. All participants were assessed for the severity of panic symptoms using the Panic Disorder Severity Scale (PDSS). The expression of HPA-axis genes was measured using real-time quantitative fluorescent PCR, and ACTH and cortisol levels were measured using chemiluminescence at baseline and after 12 weeks of treatment. RESULTS At baseline, patients with PD had elevated levels of ACTH and cortisol, and FKBP51 expression in comparison to healthy controls (all p < 0.01). Correlation analysis revealed that FKBP51 expression levels were significantly positively related to cortisol levels and the severity of PD (all p < 0.01). Furthermore, baseline ACTH and cortisol levels, and FKBP51 expression levels were significantly reduced after 12 weeks of treatment, and the change in the PDSS score from baseline to post-treatment was significantly and positively related to the change in cortisol (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that PD may be associated with elevated levels of ACTH and cortisol, and FKBP51 expression, and that all three biomarkers are substantially decreased in patients who have received escitalopram treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhili Zou
- Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, 610072, Chengdu, China.
| | - Yulan Huang
- Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, 610072, Chengdu, China
| | - Michael Maes
- Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, 610072, Chengdu, China
| | - Jinyu Wang
- Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, 610072, Chengdu, China
| | - Ying He
- Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, 610072, Chengdu, China
| | - Wenjiao Min
- Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, 610072, Chengdu, China
| | - Bo Zhou
- Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, 610072, Chengdu, China
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Ben David G, Amir Y, Salalha R, Sharvit L, Richter-Levin G, Atzmon G. Can Epigenetics Predict Drug Efficiency in Mental Disorders? Cells 2023; 12:1173. [PMID: 37190082 PMCID: PMC10136455 DOI: 10.3390/cells12081173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Psychiatric disorders affect millions of individuals and their families worldwide, and the costs to society are substantial and are expected to rise due to a lack of effective treatments. Personalized medicine-customized treatment tailored to the individual-offers a solution. Although most mental diseases are influenced by genetic and environmental factors, finding genetic biomarkers that predict treatment efficacy has been challenging. This review highlights the potential of epigenetics as a tool for predicting treatment efficacy and personalizing medicine for psychiatric disorders. We examine previous studies that have attempted to predict treatment efficacy through epigenetics, provide an experimental model, and note the potential challenges at each stage. While the field is still in its infancy, epigenetics holds promise as a predictive tool by examining individual patients' epigenetic profiles in conjunction with other indicators. However, further research is needed, including additional studies, replication, validation, and application beyond clinical settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gil Ben David
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa, 199 Aba Khoushy Ave., Mount Carmel, Haifa 3498838, Israel; (G.B.D.); (R.S.)
| | - Yam Amir
- Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa, 199 Aba Khoushy Ave., Mount Carmel, Haifa 3498838, Israel; (Y.A.)
| | - Randa Salalha
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa, 199 Aba Khoushy Ave., Mount Carmel, Haifa 3498838, Israel; (G.B.D.); (R.S.)
| | - Lital Sharvit
- Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa, 199 Aba Khoushy Ave., Mount Carmel, Haifa 3498838, Israel; (Y.A.)
| | - Gal Richter-Levin
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa, 199 Aba Khoushy Ave., Mount Carmel, Haifa 3498838, Israel; (G.B.D.); (R.S.)
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Haifa, 199 Aba Khoushy Ave., Mount Carmel, Haifa 3498838, Israel
- Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBR), University of Haifa, 199 Aba Khoushy Ave., Mount Carmel, Haifa 3498838, Israel
| | - Gil Atzmon
- Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa, 199 Aba Khoushy Ave., Mount Carmel, Haifa 3498838, Israel; (Y.A.)
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Pan B, Zhu X, Han B, Weng J, Wang Y, Liu Y. The SIK1/CRTC2/CREB1 and TWIST1/PI3K/Akt/GSK3β signaling pathways mediated by microRNA-25-3p are altered in the schizophrenic rat brain. Front Cell Neurosci 2023; 17:1087335. [PMID: 36744005 PMCID: PMC9896578 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1087335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a group of severe mental disorders. MiR-25-3p was shown to be involved in various neuropsychiatric diseases and can regulate SIK1 and TWIST1. The CRTC2/CREB1 and PI3K/Akt/GSK3β signaling pathways are downstream pathways of SIK1 and TWIST1, respectively. This study investigated whether miR-25-3p-mediated SIK1/CRTC2/CREB1 and TWIST1/PI3K/Akt/GSK3β signaling pathways are present in an animal model relevant to schizophrenia. A schizophrenic rat model was established by using sub-chronic MK-801 administration. An RNA-seq test was performed to examine the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the rat prefrontal cortex (PFC). The mRNA levels of miR-25-3p, SIK1, and TWIST in the PFC and caudate putamen (CPu) were assessed by qRT-PCR. Phosphorylation of the SIK1/CRTC2/CREB1 and TWIST1/PI3K/Akt/GSK3β pathways in the two brain regions was examined by Western blots. The RNA-seq data revealed down-regulated miR-25-3p expression and up-regulated SIK1 and TWIST1 mRNA expression induced by MK-801. Additionally, SIK1 and TWIST1 were shown to be possible downstream responders of miR-25-3p in previous studies. qRT-PCR confirmed the changes of miR-25-3p, SIK1, and TWIST1 induced by MK-801 in both brain regions, which, however, was reversed by risperidone. Furthermore, the phosphorylation of the SIK1/CRTC2/CREB1 pathway was repressed by MK-801, whereas the phosphorylation of the TWIST1/PI3K/Akt/GSK3β pathway was increased by MK-801 in either of the two brain regions. Moreover, the altered phosphorylation of these two signaling pathways induced by MK-801 can be restored by risperidone. In conclusion, this study suggests that altered SIK1/CRTC2/CREB1 and TWIST1/PI3K/Akt/GSK3β signaling pathways mediated by miR-25-3p is very likely to be associated with schizophrenia, revealing potential targets for the treatment and clinical diagnosis of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Pan
- The Key Laboratory of Syndrome Differentiation and Treatment of Gastric Cancer of the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Yangzhou University Medical College, Yangzhou, China,Institute of Translational Medicine, Yangzhou University Medical College, Yangzhou, China,Bo Pan,
| | - Xiaoli Zhu
- The Key Laboratory of Syndrome Differentiation and Treatment of Gastric Cancer of the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Yangzhou University Medical College, Yangzhou, China,Institute of Translational Medicine, Yangzhou University Medical College, Yangzhou, China
| | - Bing Han
- The Key Laboratory of Syndrome Differentiation and Treatment of Gastric Cancer of the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Yangzhou University Medical College, Yangzhou, China,Institute of Translational Medicine, Yangzhou University Medical College, Yangzhou, China
| | - Jianjun Weng
- The Key Laboratory of Syndrome Differentiation and Treatment of Gastric Cancer of the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Yangzhou University Medical College, Yangzhou, China,Institute of Translational Medicine, Yangzhou University Medical College, Yangzhou, China
| | - Yuting Wang
- The Key Laboratory of Syndrome Differentiation and Treatment of Gastric Cancer of the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Yangzhou University Medical College, Yangzhou, China,Institute of Translational Medicine, Yangzhou University Medical College, Yangzhou, China
| | - Yanqing Liu
- The Key Laboratory of Syndrome Differentiation and Treatment of Gastric Cancer of the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Yangzhou University Medical College, Yangzhou, China,Institute of Translational Medicine, Yangzhou University Medical College, Yangzhou, China,*Correspondence: Yanqing Liu,
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Van der Auwera S, Ameling S, Nauck M, Völzke H, Völker U, Grabe HJ. Plasma circulating micro-RNAs associated with alexithymia reflect a high overlap on neuropsychiatric outcomes. J Affect Disord 2022; 305:206-212. [PMID: 35283179 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2022.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alexithymia ("no word for feelings") is a personality feature that is common in patients with psychiatric disorders. However, little is known about biological causes and mechanism behind. Research so far focusses on genetic risk variants primary associated with depression, but analyses on epigenetic mechanisms are still missing. METHODS In a sample of n = 813 subjects from the "Study of Health in Pomerania" we analyzed the association between alexithymia and plasma circulating micro RNAs (miRNA). Significant miRNAs were compared to associations regarding depression and pathway analyses were performed. RESULTS Two miRNAs were significantly associated with at least one of the alexithymia scores (hsa-miR-324-3p, hsa-miR-33a-5p) and three miRNAs additionally revealed a strong association pattern to alexithymia (hsa-miR-106b-5p, hsa-miR-484, hsa-miR-25-3p). None of these miRNAs was significantly associated with depressive symptoms in our sample. Literature research showed that all of the miRNAs have been found in association with several neuropsychiatric phenotypes. LIMITATIONS Main limitations are the lack of a replication sample as well as the limited number of miRNAs analyzed. CONCLUSIONS This is the first analysis investigating the association between miRNAs and alexithymia. Results indicate that miRNAs are not specific for one psychiatric disorder but may influence biological mechanisms that are involved in various psychiatric conditions which might be relevant for future treatment options and improve the biological understanding of psychiatric conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Van der Auwera
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany; German Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Site Rostock/Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
| | - Sabine Ameling
- Interfaculty Institute for Genetics and Functional Genomics, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany; German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Matthias Nauck
- German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.; Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Henry Völzke
- German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.; Institute for Community Medicine, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Uwe Völker
- Interfaculty Institute for Genetics and Functional Genomics, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany; German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Hans J Grabe
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany; German Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Site Rostock/Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
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Kim HK, Zai G, Hennings JM, Müller DJ, Kloiber S. Changes in RNA expression levels during antidepressant treatment: a systematic review. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2021; 128:1461-1477. [PMID: 34415438 DOI: 10.1007/s00702-021-02394-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
More than a third of patients treated with antidepressants experience treatment resistance. Furthermore, molecular pathways involved in antidepressant effect have yet to be fully understood. Therefore, we performed a systematic review of clinical studies that examined changes in RNA expression levels produced by antidepressant treatment. Literature search was performed through April 2021 for peer-reviewed studies measuring changes in mRNA or non-coding RNA levels before and after antidepressant treatment in human participants following PRISMA guidelines. Thirty-one studies were included in qualitative synthesis. We identified a large amount of heterogeneity between the studies for genes/RNAs measured, antidepressants used, and treatment duration. Of the six RNAs examined by more than one study, expression of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene and genes in the inflammation pathway, particularly IL-1β, were consistently reported to be altered by antidepressant treatment. Limitations of this review include heterogeneity of the studies, possibility of positive publication bias, and risk of false-negative findings secondary to small sample sizes. In conclusion, our systematic review provides an updated synthesis of RNA expression changes produced by antidepressant treatment in human participants, where genes in the BDNF and inflammatory pathways were identified as potential targets of antidepressant effect. Importantly, these findings also highlight the need for replication of the included studies in multiple strong, placebo-controlled studies for the identification of evidence-based markers that can be targeted to improve treatment outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gwyneth Zai
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 100 Stokes Street, Toronto, ON, M6H 1J4, Canada.,Institute of Medical Science, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | - Daniel J Müller
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 100 Stokes Street, Toronto, ON, M6H 1J4, Canada.,Institute of Medical Science, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Stefan Kloiber
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada. .,Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 100 Stokes Street, Toronto, ON, M6H 1J4, Canada. .,Institute of Medical Science, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
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