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Jellen LC, Lewis MM, Du G, Wang X, Galvis MLE, Krzyzanowski S, Capan CD, Snyder AM, Connor JR, Kong L, Mailman RB, Brundin P, Brundin L, Huang X. Low plasma serotonin linked to higher nigral iron in Parkinson's disease. Sci Rep 2021; 11:24384. [PMID: 34934078 PMCID: PMC8692322 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-03700-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
A growing body of evidence suggests nigral iron accumulation plays an important role in the pathophysiology of Parkinson's disease (PD), contributing to dopaminergic neuron loss in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc). Converging evidence suggests this accumulation might be related to, or increased by, serotonergic dysfunction, a common, often early feature of the disease. We investigated whether lower plasma serotonin in PD is associated with higher nigral iron. We obtained plasma samples from 97 PD patients and 89 controls and MRI scans from a sub-cohort (62 PD, 70 controls). We measured serotonin concentrations using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography and regional iron content using MRI-based quantitative susceptibility mapping. PD patients had lower plasma serotonin (p < 0.0001) and higher nigral iron content (SNc: p < 0.001) overall. Exclusively in PD, lower plasma serotonin was correlated with higher nigral iron (SNc: r(58) = - 0.501, p < 0.001). This correlation was significant even in patients newly diagnosed (< 1 year) and stronger in the SNc than any other region examined. This study reveals an early, linear association between low serotonin and higher nigral iron in PD patients, which is absent in controls. This is consistent with a serotonin-iron relationship in the disease process, warranting further studies to determine its cause and directionality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leslie C Jellen
- Department of Neurology, Penn State University-Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA, USA
| | - Mechelle M Lewis
- Department of Neurology, Penn State University-Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Penn State University-Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA, USA
| | - Guangwei Du
- Department of Neurology, Penn State University-Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA, USA
| | - Xi Wang
- Public Health Sciences, Penn State University-Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA, USA
| | - Martha L Escobar Galvis
- Parkinson's Disease Center, Department of Neurodegenerative Science, Van Andel Institute, 333 Bostwick Ave NE, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503, USA
| | - Stanislaw Krzyzanowski
- Parkinson's Disease Center, Department of Neurodegenerative Science, Van Andel Institute, 333 Bostwick Ave NE, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503, USA
| | - Colt D Capan
- Parkinson's Disease Center, Department of Neurodegenerative Science, Van Andel Institute, 333 Bostwick Ave NE, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503, USA
| | - Amanda M Snyder
- Department of Neurology, Penn State University-Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA, USA
| | - James R Connor
- Department of Neurology, Penn State University-Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA, USA
| | - Lan Kong
- Public Health Sciences, Penn State University-Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA, USA
| | - Richard B Mailman
- Department of Neurology, Penn State University-Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Penn State University-Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA, USA
| | - Patrik Brundin
- Parkinson's Disease Center, Department of Neurodegenerative Science, Van Andel Institute, 333 Bostwick Ave NE, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503, USA
| | - Lena Brundin
- Parkinson's Disease Center, Department of Neurodegenerative Science, Van Andel Institute, 333 Bostwick Ave NE, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503, USA.
- Division of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, Grand Rapids, MI, USA.
| | - Xuemei Huang
- Department of Neurology, Penn State University-Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA, USA.
- Department of Pharmacology, Penn State University-Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA, USA.
- Departments of Neurosurgery and Radiology, Penn State University-Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA, USA.
- Department of Kinesiology, Penn State University-Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA, USA.
- Translational Brain Research Center, Penn State University-Hershey Medical Center, 500 University Dr., Mail Code H037, Hershey, PA, 17033, USA.
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