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Jiang Y, Zhou Y, Xie Y, Zhou J, Cai M, Tang J, Liu F, Ma J, Liu H. Functional magnetic resonance imaging alternations in suicide attempts individuals and their association with gene expression. Neuroimage Clin 2024; 43:103645. [PMID: 39059208 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2024.103645] [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: 05/27/2024] [Revised: 06/29/2024] [Accepted: 07/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) has shown brain activity alterations in individuals with a history of attempted suicide (SA) who are diagnosed with depression disorder (DD) or bipolar disorder (BD). However, patterns of spontaneous brain activity and their genetic correlations need further investigation. METHODS A voxel-based meta-analysis of 19 studies including 26 datasets, involving 742 patients with a history of SA and 978 controls (both nonsuicidal patients and healthy controls) was conducted. We examined fMRI changes in SA patients and analyzed the association between these changes and gene expression profiles using data from the Allen Human Brain Atlas by partial least squares regression analysis. RESULTS SA patients demonstrated increased spontaneous brain activity in several brain regions including the bilateral inferior temporal gyrus, hippocampus, fusiform gyrus, and right insula, and decreased activity in areas like the bilateral paracentral lobule and inferior frontal gyrus. Additionally, 5,077 genes were identified, exhibiting expression patterns associated with SA-related fMRI alterations. Functional enrichment analyses demonstrated that these SA-related genes were enriched for biological functions including glutamatergic synapse and mitochondrial structure. Concurrently, specific expression analyses showed that these genes were specifically expressed in the brain tissue, in neurons cells, and during early developmental periods. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest a neurobiological basis for fMRI abnormalities in SA patients with DD or BD, potentially guiding future genetic and therapeutic research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yurong Jiang
- Department of Radiology, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging & Tianjin Institute of Radiology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, China
| | - Yujing Zhou
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, 116000 Dalian, Liaoning, China
| | - Yingying Xie
- Department of Radiology, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging & Tianjin Institute of Radiology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, China
| | - Junzi Zhou
- Department of Radiology, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging & Tianjin Institute of Radiology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, China
| | - Mengjing Cai
- Department of Radiology, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging & Tianjin Institute of Radiology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, China
| | - Jie Tang
- Department of Radiology, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging & Tianjin Institute of Radiology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, China
| | - Feng Liu
- Department of Radiology, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging & Tianjin Institute of Radiology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, China.
| | - Juanwei Ma
- Department of Radiology, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging & Tianjin Institute of Radiology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, China.
| | - Huaigui Liu
- Department of Radiology, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging & Tianjin Institute of Radiology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, China.
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Yu S, Qu Y, Du Z, Ou M, Lu R, Yuan J, Jiang Y, Zhu H. The expression of immune related genes and potential regulatory mechanisms in schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 2024; 267:507-518. [PMID: 37993327 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2023.11.007] [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: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 11/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study aimed to investigate the role of immune dysfunction in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia through single-cell transcriptome and bulk RNA data analyses. METHODS The single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) was selected to assess the cellular composition and gene expression profiles of the brain tissue. Further, bulk RNA sequencing data was utilized to corroborate findings from the single-cell analyses and provide additional insights into the molecular changes associated with the disease. Gene-drug interaction data was also included to identify potential therapeutic drugs targeting these dysregulated immune-related genes in schizophrenia. RESULTS We discovered significant differences in cellular composition within schizophrenia tissue, including increased infiltration of fibroblasts, horizontal basal cells, monocytes, mesenchymal cells, and smooth muscle cells. The investigation of immune-related genes revealed significantly different expression of genes such as S100A2, CCL14, IGHA1, BPIFA1, GDF15, IL32, BPIFB2, HLA-DRA, S100A8, PTX3, TPM2, TNFRSF12A, GREM1 and others. These genes possibly contribute to the progression of schizophrenia through various pathways such as humoral immune response, IL-17 signaling pathway, adaptive immune response, antigen processing and presentation, and gut IgA production. Our findings also suggest possible transcriptional regulation in schizophrenia's immune dysfunction by transcription factors in monocytes, neutrophils, endothelial cells, and epithelial cells. Lastly, potential therapeutic drugs were identified through gene-drug interaction data, such as those targeting HLA-A and HLAB. CONCLUSION The cellular heterogeneity and immune-related gene dysregulation play important roles in schizophrenia, which provides a foundation for understanding the pathogenesis and developing new treatment methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shui Yu
- Mental Health Center of Jiangnan University, Wuxi Central Rehabilitation Hospital, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214151, China
| | - Yucai Qu
- Mental Health Center of Jiangnan University, Wuxi Central Rehabilitation Hospital, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214151, China
| | - Zhiqiang Du
- Mental Health Center of Jiangnan University, Wuxi Central Rehabilitation Hospital, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214151, China
| | - Mengmeng Ou
- Mental Health Center of Jiangnan University, Wuxi Central Rehabilitation Hospital, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214151, China
| | - Rongrong Lu
- Mental Health Center of Jiangnan University, Wuxi Central Rehabilitation Hospital, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214151, China
| | - Jianming Yuan
- Mental Health Center of Jiangnan University, Wuxi Central Rehabilitation Hospital, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214151, China
| | - Ying Jiang
- Mental Health Center of Jiangnan University, Wuxi Central Rehabilitation Hospital, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214151, China.
| | - Haohao Zhu
- Mental Health Center of Jiangnan University, Wuxi Central Rehabilitation Hospital, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214151, China.
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Cai M, Ji Y, Zhao Q, Xue H, Sun Z, Wang H, Zhang Y, Chen Y, Zhao Y, Zhang Y, Lei M, Wang C, Zhuo C, Liu N, Liu H, Liu F. Homotopic functional connectivity disruptions in schizophrenia and their associated gene expression. Neuroimage 2024; 289:120551. [PMID: 38382862 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2024.120551] [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: 12/11/2023] [Revised: 02/18/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024] Open
Abstract
It has been revealed that abnormal voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity (VMHC) is present in patients with schizophrenia, yet there are inconsistencies in the relevant findings. Moreover, little is known about their association with brain gene expression profiles. In this study, transcription-neuroimaging association analyses using gene expression data from Allen Human Brain Atlas and case-control VMHC differences from both the discovery (meta-analysis, including 9 studies with a total of 386 patients and 357 controls) and replication (separate group-level comparisons within two datasets, including a total of 258 patients and 287 controls) phases were performed to identify genes associated with VMHC alterations. Enrichment analyses were conducted to characterize the biological functions and specific expression of identified genes, and Neurosynth decoding analysis was performed to examine the correlation between cognitive-related processes and VMHC alterations in schizophrenia. In the discovery and replication phases, patients with schizophrenia exhibited consistent VMHC changes compared to controls, which were correlated with a series of cognitive-related processes; meta-regression analysis revealed that illness duration was negatively correlated with VMHC abnormalities in the cerebellum and postcentral/precentral gyrus. The abnormal VMHC patterns were stably correlated with 1287 genes enriched for fundamental biological processes like regulation of cell communication, nervous system development, and cell communication. In addition, these genes were overexpressed in astrocytes and immune cells, enriched in extensive cortical regions and wide developmental time windows. The present findings may contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying VMHC alterations in patients with schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengjing Cai
- Department of Radiology and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, China
| | - Yuan Ji
- Department of Radiology and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, China
| | - Qiyu Zhao
- Department of Radiology and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, China
| | - Hui Xue
- Department of Radiology and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, China
| | - Zuhao Sun
- Department of Radiology and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, China
| | - He Wang
- Department of Radiology and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, China
| | - Yijing Zhang
- Department of Radiology and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, China
| | - Yayuan Chen
- Department of Radiology and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, China
| | - Yao Zhao
- Department of Radiology and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, China
| | - Yujie Zhang
- Department of Radiology and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, China
| | - Minghuan Lei
- Department of Radiology and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, China
| | - Chunyang Wang
- Department of Scientific Research, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, China
| | - Chuanjun Zhuo
- Laboratory of Psychiatric-Neuroimaging-Genetic and Co-morbidity (PGNP_Lab), Tianjin Anding Hospital, Nankai University Affiliated Tianjin Anding Hospital, Tianjin Mental Health Center of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300222, China
| | - Nana Liu
- Department of Radiology and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, China.
| | - Huaigui Liu
- Department of Radiology and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, China.
| | - Feng Liu
- Department of Radiology and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, China.
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Huang W, Sun X, Zhang X, Xu R, Qian Y, Zhu J. Neural Correlates of Early-Life Urbanization and Their Spatial Relationships with Gene Expression, Neurotransmitter, and Behavioral Domain Atlases. Mol Neurobiol 2024:10.1007/s12035-024-03962-7. [PMID: 38308665 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-024-03962-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/05/2024]
Abstract
Previous neuroimaging research has established associations between urban exposure during early life and alterations in brain function and structure. However, the molecular mechanisms and behavioral relevance of these associations remain largely unknown. Here, we aimed to address this question using a combined analysis of multimodal data. Initially, we calculated amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) and gray matter volume (GMV) using resting-state functional and structural MRI to investigate their associations with early-life urbanization in a large sample of 511 healthy young adults. Then, we examined the spatial relationships of the identified neural correlates of early-life urbanization with gene expression, neurotransmitter, and behavioral domain atlases. Results showed that higher early-life urbanization scores were correlated with increased ALFF of the right fusiform gyrus and decreased GMV of the left dorsal medial prefrontal cortex and left precuneus. Remarkably, the identified neural correlates of early-life urbanization were spatially correlated with expression of gene categories primarily involving immune system process, signal transduction, and cellular metabolic process. Concurrently, there were significant associations between the neural correlates and specific neurotransmitter systems including dopamine, acetylcholine, and serotonin. Finally, we found that the ALFF correlates were associated with behavioral terms including "perception," "sensory," "cognitive control," and "reasoning." Apart from expanding existing knowledge of early-life urban environmental risk for mental disorders and health in general, our findings may contribute to an emerging framework for integrating social science, neuroscience, genetics, and public policy to respond to the major health challenge of world urbanization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weisheng Huang
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230022, China
- Research Center of Clinical Medical Imaging, Anhui Province, Hefei, 230032, China
- Anhui Provincial Institute of Translational Medicine, Hefei, 230032, China
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory for Brain Bank Construction and Resource Utilization, Hefei, 230032, China
| | - Xuetian Sun
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230022, China
- Research Center of Clinical Medical Imaging, Anhui Province, Hefei, 230032, China
- Anhui Provincial Institute of Translational Medicine, Hefei, 230032, China
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory for Brain Bank Construction and Resource Utilization, Hefei, 230032, China
| | - Xiaohan Zhang
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230022, China
- Research Center of Clinical Medical Imaging, Anhui Province, Hefei, 230032, China
- Anhui Provincial Institute of Translational Medicine, Hefei, 230032, China
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory for Brain Bank Construction and Resource Utilization, Hefei, 230032, China
| | - Ruoxuan Xu
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230022, China
- Research Center of Clinical Medical Imaging, Anhui Province, Hefei, 230032, China
- Anhui Provincial Institute of Translational Medicine, Hefei, 230032, China
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory for Brain Bank Construction and Resource Utilization, Hefei, 230032, China
| | - Yinfeng Qian
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230022, China.
- Research Center of Clinical Medical Imaging, Anhui Province, Hefei, 230032, China.
- Anhui Provincial Institute of Translational Medicine, Hefei, 230032, China.
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory for Brain Bank Construction and Resource Utilization, Hefei, 230032, China.
| | - Jiajia Zhu
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230022, China.
- Research Center of Clinical Medical Imaging, Anhui Province, Hefei, 230032, China.
- Anhui Provincial Institute of Translational Medicine, Hefei, 230032, China.
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory for Brain Bank Construction and Resource Utilization, Hefei, 230032, China.
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Cui S, Jiang P, Cheng Y, Cai H, Zhu J, Yu Y. Molecular mechanisms underlying resting-state brain functional correlates of behavioral inhibition. Neuroimage 2023; 283:120415. [PMID: 37863277 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120415] [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: 04/25/2023] [Revised: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous literature has established the presence of sex differences in behavioral inhibition as well as its neural substrates and related disease risk. However, there is limited evidence that speaks directly to the question of whether or not there are sex-dependent associations between behavioral inhibition and resting-state brain function and, if so, how they are modulated by the underlying molecular mechanisms. We computed functional connectivity density (FCD) using resting-state functional MRI data to examine their associations with behavioral inhibition ability measured using a Go/No-Go task across a large cohort of 510 healthy young adults. Then, we examined the spatial relationships of the FCD correlates of behavioral inhibition with gene expression and neurotransmitter atlases to explore their potential genetic architecture and neurochemical basis. A significant negative correlation between behavioral inhibition and FCD in the left superior parietal lobule was found in females but not males. Further spatial correlation analyses demonstrated that the identified neural correlates of behavioral inhibition were associated with expression of gene categories predominantly implicating essential components of the cerebral cortex (glial cell, neuron, axon, dendrite, and synapse) and ion channel activity, as well as were linked to the serotonergic system. Our findings may not only yield important insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the female-specific neural substrates of behavioral inhibition, but also provide a critical context for understanding how biological sex might contribute to variation in behavioral inhibition and its related disease risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shunshun Cui
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, China; Research Center of Clinical Medical Imaging, Anhui Province, Hefei 230032, China; Anhui Provincial Institute of Translational Medicine, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Ping Jiang
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, China; Research Center of Clinical Medical Imaging, Anhui Province, Hefei 230032, China; Anhui Provincial Institute of Translational Medicine, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Yan Cheng
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, China; Research Center of Clinical Medical Imaging, Anhui Province, Hefei 230032, China; Anhui Provincial Institute of Translational Medicine, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Huanhuan Cai
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, China; Research Center of Clinical Medical Imaging, Anhui Province, Hefei 230032, China; Anhui Provincial Institute of Translational Medicine, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Jiajia Zhu
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, China; Research Center of Clinical Medical Imaging, Anhui Province, Hefei 230032, China; Anhui Provincial Institute of Translational Medicine, Hefei 230032, China.
| | - Yongqiang Yu
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, China; Research Center of Clinical Medical Imaging, Anhui Province, Hefei 230032, China; Anhui Provincial Institute of Translational Medicine, Hefei 230032, China.
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