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Khalid I, Saleem U, Ahmad B, Hawwal MF, Mothana RA. NMDA receptor modulation by Esculetin: Investigating behavioral, biochemical and neurochemical effects in schizophrenic mice model. Saudi Pharm J 2024; 32:101994. [PMID: 38405040 PMCID: PMC10884481 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsps.2024.101994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia, a global mental health disorder affecting approximately 1 % of the population, is characterized by neurotransmitter dysregulation, particularly dopamine, serotonin, and glutamate. Current antipsychotic therapies, despite their efficacy, are accompanied by adverse effects, which has motivated researchers to investigate more secure substitutes. This study examines the potential antipsychotic effects of esculetin, a natural coumarin derivative recognized for its wide-ranging pharmacological activities (anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-pathogenic, anticancer, and neuroprotective), in animal model of schizophrenia induced by ketamine. In order to induce disease, acute and chronic ketamine administration was performed on Swiss albino mice, supplemented with esculetin (as the test substance) and clozapine (as the reference standard). Behavioral studies and biochemical assays were performed to evaluate positive, negative, and cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia, as well as antioxidant and oxidant levels in various brain regions. Esculetin demonstrated significant improvements in behavioral symptoms, attenuated oxidative stress and neuroinflammation, and modulated neurotransmitter levels. Afterwards, ELISA was performed to evaluate levels of schizophrenia biomarkers AChE, BDNF. Moreover, proinflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and TNF-α) and NF-κB were also determined. Histopathological parameters of under study brain parts i.e., hippocampus, cortex and striata were also assessed. Esculetin and clozapine significantly (***p < 0.0001) altered ketamine induced behavioral symptoms and attenuated ketamine induced oxidative stress and neuroinflammation. Additionally, esculetin significantly (***p < 0.0001) altered neurotransmitter (dopamine, serotonin, glutamate) levels. ELISA analysis depicts ketamine reduced BDNF levels in hippocampus, cortex and striata while esculetin significantly (***p < 0.0001) increased BDNF levels in under study three parts of brain. Histopathological changes were seen in test groups. The findings of this study indicate that esculetin may have therapeutic potential in the treatment of schizophrenia induced by ketamine. As a result, esculetin may have the potential to be utilized as a treatment for schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iqra Khalid
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Uzma Saleem
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Bashir Ahmad
- Welsh School of Pharmacy, University of Wales, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Mohammed F. Hawwal
- Department of Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2457, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ramzi A. Mothana
- Department of Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2457, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
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Lee J, Huh S, Park K, Kang N, Yu HS, Park HG, Kim YS, Kang UG, Won S, Kim SH. Behavioral and transcriptional effects of repeated electroconvulsive seizures in the neonatal MK-801-treated rat model of schizophrenia. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2024; 241:817-832. [PMID: 38081977 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-023-06511-7] [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: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
RATIONALE Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is an effective treatment modality for schizophrenia. However, its antipsychotic-like mechanism remains unclear. OBJECTIVES To gain insight into the antipsychotic-like actions of ECT, this study investigated how repeated treatments of electroconvulsive seizure (ECS), an animal model for ECT, affect the behavioral and transcriptomic profile of a neurodevelopmental animal model of schizophrenia. METHODS Two injections of MK-801 or saline were administered to rats on postnatal day 7 (PN7), and either repeated ECS treatments (E10X) or sham shock was conducted daily from PN50 to PN59. Ultimately, the rats were divided into vehicle/sham (V/S), MK-801/sham (M/S), vehicle/ECS (V/E), and MK-801/ECS (M/E) groups. On PN59, prepulse inhibition and locomotor activity were tested. Prefrontal cortex transcriptomes were analyzed with mRNA sequencing and network and pathway analyses, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analyses were subsequently conducted. RESULTS Prepulse inhibition deficit was induced by MK-801 and normalized by E10X. In M/S vs. M/E model, Egr1, Mmp9, and S100a6 were identified as center genes, and interleukin-17 (IL-17), nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) signaling pathways were identified as the three most relevant pathways. In the V/E vs. V/S model, mitophagy, NF-κB, and receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) pathways were identified. qPCR analyses demonstrated that Igfbp6, Btf3, Cox6a2, and H2az1 were downregulated in M/S and upregulated in M/E. CONCLUSIONS E10X reverses the behavioral changes induced by MK-801 and produces transcriptional changes in inflammatory, insulin, and mitophagy pathways, which provide mechanistic insight into the antipsychotic-like mechanism of ECT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeonghoon Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Seonghoo Huh
- Biomedical Research Institute, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyungtaek Park
- Institute of Health and Environment, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Nuree Kang
- Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun Sook Yu
- Biomedical Research Institute, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hong Geun Park
- Biomedical Research Institute, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Yong Sik Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Nowon Eulji Medical Center, Eulji University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Ung Gu Kang
- Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Institute of Human Behavioral Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sungho Won
- Institute of Health and Environment, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Interdisciplinary Program of Bioinformatics, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Graduate School of Public Health, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- RexSoft Inc., Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Se Hyun Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
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Han S, Li Y, Gao J. Peripheral blood MicroRNAs as biomarkers of schizophrenia: expectations from a meta-analysis that combines deep learning methods. World J Biol Psychiatry 2024; 25:65-81. [PMID: 37703215 DOI: 10.1080/15622975.2023.2258975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Revised: 08/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This study aimed at identifying reliable differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs) for schizophrenia in blood via meta-analyses combined with deep learning methods. METHODS First, we meta-analysed published DEMs. Then, we enriched the pool of schizophrenia-associated miRNAs by applying two computational learning methods to identify candidate biomarkers and verified the results in external datasets. RESULTS In total, 27 DEMs were found to be statistically significant (p < .05). Ten candidate schizophrenia-associated miRNAs were identified through computational learning methods. The diagnostic efficiency was verified on a blood-miRNA dataset (GSE54578) with a random forest (RF) model and achieved an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.83 ± 0.14. Moreover, 855 experimentally validated target genes for these candidate miRNAs were retrieved, and 11 hub genes were identified. Enrichment analysis revealed that the main functions in which the target genes were enriched were those related to cell signalling, prenatal infections, cancers, cell deaths, oxidative stress, endocrine disorders, transcription regulation, and kinase activities. The diagnostic ability of the hub genes was reflected in a comparably good average AUC of 0.77 ± 0.09 for an external dataset (GSE38484). CONCLUSIONS A meta-analysis that combines computational and mathematical methods provides a reliable tool for identifying candidate biomarkers of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiyuan Han
- Department of Neurosurgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Yongning Li
- Department of Neurosurgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
- Department of International Medical Service, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Jun Gao
- Department of Neurosurgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
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Fu X, Baranova A, Cao H, Liu Y, Sun J, Zhang F. miR-9-5p deficiency contributes to schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 2023; 262:168-174. [PMID: 37992560 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2023.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Revised: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023]
Abstract
MicroRNA-9-5p (miR-9-5p) is highly expressed in the brain and has been implicated in the risk of schizophrenia. We compared the expression levels of miR-9-5p in schizophrenia cases and healthy controls and evaluated whether regulatory targets of miR-9-5p are enriched in schizophrenia genome-wide risk genes. Literature-based analysis was conducted to construct molecular pathways connecting miR-9-5p and schizophrenia. We found that the expression levels of miR-9-5p were down-regulated in the peripheral blood of schizophrenia patients compared with those in healthy controls. miR-9-5p can regulate 24 out of the 1136 genome-wide risk genes of schizophrenia, which was higher than by chance (hypergeometric test P = 4.09E-06). The literature-based analysis showed that quantitative genetic changes driven by miR-9 exert more inhibitory (the IL1B, ABCB1, FGFR1 genes) than promoting (the INS gene) effects on schizophrenia, suggesting that miR-9 may protect against schizophrenia. Our results suggest that miR-9-5p deficiency may contribute to the development of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoqian Fu
- Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou 215137, China; Suzhou Guangji Hospital, The Affiliated Guangji Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215137, China
| | - Ancha Baranova
- School of Systems Biology, George Mason University, Manassas 20110, USA; Research Centre for Medical Genetics, Moscow 115478, Russia
| | - Hongbao Cao
- School of Systems Biology, George Mason University, Manassas 20110, USA
| | - Yansong Liu
- Suzhou Guangji Hospital, The Affiliated Guangji Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215137, China
| | - Jing Sun
- Department of Psychiatry, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Fuquan Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China; Institute of Neuropsychiatry, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China.
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Baranova A, Zhao Y, Cao H, Zhang F. Causal associations between major depressive disorder and COVID-19. Gen Psychiatr 2023; 36:e101006. [PMID: 37066117 PMCID: PMC10083530 DOI: 10.1136/gpsych-2022-101006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Background We aimed to evaluate whether major depressive disorder (MDD) could aggravate the outcomes of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) or whether the genetic liability to COVID-19 could trigger MDD. Aims We aimed to assess bidirectional causal associations between MDD and COVID-19. Methods We performed genetic correlation and Mendelian randomisation (MR) analyses to assess potential associations between MDD and three COVID-19 outcomes. Literature-based network analysis was conducted to construct molecular pathways connecting MDD and COVID-19. Results We found that MDD has positive genetic correlations with COVID-19 outcomes (rg: 0.10-0.15). Our MR analysis indicated that genetic liability to MDD is associated with increased risks of COVID-19 infection (odds ratio (OR)=1.05, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.00 to 1.10, p=0.039). However, genetic liability to the three COVID-19 outcomes did not confer any causal effects on MDD. Pathway analysis identified a panel of immunity-related genes that may mediate the links between MDD and COVID-19. Conclusions Our study suggests that MDD may increase the susceptibility to COVID-19. Our findings emphasise the need to increase social support and improve mental health intervention networks for people with mood disorders during the pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ancha Baranova
- School of Systems Biology, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, USA
- Research Centre for Medical Genetics, Moscow
| | - Yi Zhao
- Department of Psychiatry, Nanjing Medical University Affiliated Brain Hospital, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Hongbao Cao
- School of Systems Biology, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, USA
| | - Fuquan Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, Nanjing Medical University Affiliated Brain Hospital, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
- Institute of Neuropsychiatry, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
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Lv H, Li J, Gao K, Zeng L, Xue R, Liu X, Zhou C, Yue W, Yu H. Identification of genetic loci that overlap between schizophrenia and metabolic syndrome. Psychiatry Res 2022; 318:114947. [PMID: 36399892 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2022.114947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2022] [Revised: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Patients with schizophrenia (SCZ) frequently exhibit an elevated risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS), which may lead to a worse clinical outcome. Even though these two phenotypes are genetically linked, little is known about their shared genetic determinants. Here, we investigated whether SCZ and MetS share genetic risk factors. To examine the genetic overlap between the two disorders, we applied a comprehensive genetic overlap analysis by integrating GWAS data for SCZ (n = 320,404) and MetS (n = 291,107) at the genome, genetic variants, and gene levels. At the genome level, we observed polygenic overlap between SCZ and MetS by utilizing LDSC (rg=-0.09, P = 1 × 10-4) and GNOVA (rho=-0.04, P = 1.39 × 10-8) analysis. At the SNP level, we performed conjunctional FDR (conjFDR) analysis to identify genetic variants simultaneously associated with two phenotypes. Based on conjFDR < 0.05, we identified 22 loci shared between SCZ and MetS. At the gene level, we further demonstrated that SCZ- and MetS-inferred gene expression overlapped across 49 GTEx tissues and highlighted the PCCB and KCTD13 genes as putative mediators of the genetic association. Overall, these findings shed novel light on the association between SCZ and MetS, and potentially enhance our knowledge of the high comorbidity and genetic processes that overlap between the two disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Honggang Lv
- Department of Psychiatry, Jining Medical University, Jining, Shandong 272067, China
| | - Juan Li
- Department of Psychiatry, Jining Medical University, Jining, Shandong 272067, China
| | - Kai Gao
- National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders & Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Ministry of Health (Peking University), Peking University Sixth Hospital (Institute of Mental Health), Beijing 100191, China
| | - Lingsi Zeng
- Department of Psychiatry, Jining Medical University, Jining, Shandong 272067, China
| | - Ranran Xue
- Department of Psychiatry, Shandong Daizhuang Hospital, Jining, Shandong 272051, China
| | - Xia Liu
- Department of Psychiatry, Shandong Daizhuang Hospital, Jining, Shandong 272051, China
| | - Cong Zhou
- Department of Psychiatry, Jining Medical University, Jining, Shandong 272067, China
| | - Weihua Yue
- National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders & Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Ministry of Health (Peking University), Peking University Sixth Hospital (Institute of Mental Health), Beijing 100191, China; PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
| | - Hao Yu
- Department of Psychiatry, Jining Medical University, Jining, Shandong 272067, China.
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Decreased Prosaposin and Progranulin in the Cingulate Cortex Are Associated with Schizophrenia Pathophysiology. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms231912056. [PMID: 36233357 PMCID: PMC9570388 DOI: 10.3390/ijms231912056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Revised: 10/02/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Prosaposin (PSAP) and progranulin (PGRN) are two lysosomal proteins that interact and modulate the metabolism of lipids, particularly sphingolipids. Alterations in sphingolipid metabolism have been found in schizophrenia. Genetic associations of PSAP and PGRN with schizophrenia have been reported. To further clarify the role of PSAP and PGRN in schizophrenia, we examined PSAP and PGRN levels in postmortem cingulate cortex tissue from healthy controls along with patients who had suffered from schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depressive disorder. We found that PSAP and PGRN levels are reduced specifically in schizophrenia patients. To understand the role of PSAP in the cingulate cortex, we used an AAV strategy to knock down PSAP in neurons located in this region. Neuronal PSAP knockdown led to the downregulation of neuronal PGRN levels and behavioral abnormalities. Cingulate-PSAP-deficient mice exhibited increased anxiety-like behavior and impaired prepulse inhibition, as well as intact locomotion, working memory, and a depression-like state. The behavioral changes were accompanied by increased early growth response protein 1 (EGR-1) and activity-dependent cytoskeleton-associated protein (ARC) levels in the sensorimotor cortex and hippocampus, regions implicated in circuitry dysfunction in schizophrenia. In conclusion, PSAP and PGRN downregulation in the cingulate cortex is associated with schizophrenia pathophysiology.
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