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Liu X, Dong L, Jiang Z, Song M, Yan P. Identifying the differentially expressed peripheral blood microRNAs in psychiatric disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Front Psychiatry 2024; 15:1390366. [PMID: 38827444 PMCID: PMC11140110 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1390366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Evidence has suggested that microRNAs (miRNAs) may play an important role in the pathogenesis of psychiatric disorders (PDs), but the results remain inconclusive. We aimed to identify specific differentially expressed miRNAs and their overlapping miRNA expression profiles in schizophrenia (SZ), major depression disorder (MDD), and bipolar disorder (BD), the three major PDs. Methods The literatures up to September 30, 2023 related to peripheral blood miRNAs and PDs were searched and screened from multiple databases. The differences in miRNA levels between groups were illustrated by the standardized mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI). Results In total, 30 peripheral blood miRNAs were included in the meta-analysis, including 16 for SZ, 12 for MDD, and 2 for BD, each was reported in more than 3 independent studies. Compared with the control group, miR-181b-5p, miR-34a-5p, miR-195-5p, miR-30e-5p, miR-7-5p, miR-132-3p, miR-212-3p, miR-206, miR-92a-3p and miR-137-3p were upregulated in SZ, while miR-134-5p, miR-107 and miR-99b-5p were downregulated. In MDD, miR-124-3p, miR-132-3p, miR-139-5p, miR-182-5p, miR-221-3p, miR-34a-5p and miR-93-5p were upregulated, while miR-144-5p and miR-135a-5p were downregulated. However, we failed to identify statistically differentially expressed miRNAs in BD. Interestingly, miR-132-3p and miR-34a-5p were upregulated in both SZ and MDD. Conclusions Our study identified 13 differentially expressed miRNAs in SZ and 9 in MDD, among which miR-132-3p and miR-34a-5p were upregulated in both SZ and MDD by systematically analyzing qualified studies. These miRNAs may be used as potential biomarkers for the diagnosis of SZ and MDD in the future. Systematic Review Registration http://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO, identifier CRD42023486982.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyan Liu
- Department of Psychiatry, Affiliated Mental Health Center & Hangzhou Seventh People’s Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Liying Dong
- Internal Medicine of Traditional Chinese Medicine, The 4th Clinical Medical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhaowei Jiang
- Internal Medicine of Traditional Chinese Medicine, The 4th Clinical Medical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Mingfen Song
- Molecular Biology Laboratory, Affiliated Mental Health Center & Hangzhou Seventh People’s Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Pan Yan
- Molecular Biology Laboratory, Affiliated Mental Health Center & Hangzhou Seventh People’s Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
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2
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Hauke DJ, Charlton CE, Schmidt A, Griffiths JD, Woods SW, Ford JM, Srihari VH, Roth V, Diaconescu AO, Mathalon DH. Aberrant Hierarchical Prediction Errors Are Associated With Transition to Psychosis: A Computational Single-Trial Analysis of the Mismatch Negativity. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2023; 8:1176-1185. [PMID: 37536567 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2023.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Revised: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mismatch negativity reductions are among the most reliable biomarkers for schizophrenia and have been associated with increased risk for conversion to psychosis in individuals who are at clinical high risk for psychosis (CHR-P). Here, we adopted a computational approach to develop a mechanistic model of mismatch negativity reductions in CHR-P individuals and patients early in the course of schizophrenia. METHODS Electroencephalography was recorded in 38 CHR-P individuals (15 converters), 19 patients early in the course of schizophrenia (≤5 years), and 44 healthy control participants during three different auditory oddball mismatch negativity paradigms including 10% duration, frequency, or double deviants, respectively. We modeled sensory learning with the hierarchical Gaussian filter and extracted precision-weighted prediction error trajectories from the model to assess how the expression of hierarchical prediction errors modulated electroencephalography amplitudes over sensor space and time. RESULTS Both low-level sensory and high-level volatility precision-weighted prediction errors were altered in CHR-P individuals and patients early in the course of schizophrenia compared with healthy control participants. Moreover, low-level precision-weighted prediction errors were significantly different in CHR-P individuals who later converted to psychosis compared with nonconverters. CONCLUSIONS Our results implicate altered processing of hierarchical prediction errors as a computational mechanism in early psychosis consistent with predictive coding accounts of psychosis. This computational model seems to capture pathophysiological mechanisms that are relevant to early psychosis and the risk for future psychosis in CHR-P individuals and may serve as predictive biomarkers and mechanistic targets for the development of novel treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J Hauke
- Centre for Medical Image Computing, Department of Computer Science, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
| | - Colleen E Charlton
- Krembil Centre for Neuroinformatics, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - André Schmidt
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - John D Griffiths
- Krembil Centre for Neuroinformatics, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Scott W Woods
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Judith M Ford
- Mental Health Service, Veterans Affairs San Francisco Health Care System, San Francisco, California; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Vinod H Srihari
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Volker Roth
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Andreea O Diaconescu
- Krembil Centre for Neuroinformatics, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Daniel H Mathalon
- Mental Health Service, Veterans Affairs San Francisco Health Care System, San Francisco, California; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California
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Gupta R, Advani D, Yadav D, Ambasta RK, Kumar P. Dissecting the Relationship Between Neuropsychiatric and Neurodegenerative Disorders. Mol Neurobiol 2023; 60:6476-6529. [PMID: 37458987 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-023-03502-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023]
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) and neuropsychiatric disorders (NPDs) are two common causes of death in elderly people, which includes progressive neuronal cell death and behavioral changes. NDDs include Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis, and motor neuron disease, characterized by cognitive defects and memory impairment, whereas NPDs include depression, seizures, migraine headaches, eating disorders, addictions, palsies, major depressive disorders, anxiety, and schizophrenia, characterized by behavioral changes. Mounting evidence demonstrated that NDDs and NPDs share an overlapping mechanism, which includes post-translational modifications, the microbiota-gut-brain axis, and signaling events. Mounting evidence demonstrated that various drug molecules, namely, natural compounds, repurposed drugs, multitarget directed ligands, and RNAs, have been potentially implemented as therapeutic agents against NDDs and NPDs. Herein, we highlighted the overlapping mechanism, the role of anxiety/stress-releasing factors, cytosol-to-nucleus signaling, and the microbiota-gut-brain axis in the pathophysiology of NDDs and NPDs. We summarize the therapeutic application of natural compounds, repurposed drugs, and multitarget-directed ligands as therapeutic agents. Lastly, we briefly described the application of RNA interferences as therapeutic agents in the pathogenesis of NDDs and NPDs. Neurodegenerative diseases and neuropsychiatric diseases both share a common signaling molecule and molecular phenomenon, namely, pro-inflammatory cytokines, γCaMKII and MAPK/ERK, chemokine receptors, BBB permeability, and the gut-microbiota-brain axis. Studies have demonstrated that any alterations in the signaling mentioned above molecules and molecular phenomena lead to the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative diseases, namely, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and neuropsychiatric disorders, such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, autism spectrum disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rohan Gupta
- Molecular Neuroscience and Functional Genomics Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Delhi Technological University, Shahbad Daulatpur, Bawana Road, New Delhi, Delhi, 110042, India
| | - Dia Advani
- Molecular Neuroscience and Functional Genomics Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Delhi Technological University, Shahbad Daulatpur, Bawana Road, New Delhi, Delhi, 110042, India
| | - Divya Yadav
- Molecular Neuroscience and Functional Genomics Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Delhi Technological University, Shahbad Daulatpur, Bawana Road, New Delhi, Delhi, 110042, India
| | - Rashmi K Ambasta
- Molecular Neuroscience and Functional Genomics Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Delhi Technological University, Shahbad Daulatpur, Bawana Road, New Delhi, Delhi, 110042, India
| | - Pravir Kumar
- Molecular Neuroscience and Functional Genomics Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Delhi Technological University, Shahbad Daulatpur, Bawana Road, New Delhi, Delhi, 110042, India.
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4
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Brown JS. Comparison of Oncogenes, Tumor Suppressors, and MicroRNAs Between Schizophrenia and Glioma: The Balance of Power. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 151:105206. [PMID: 37178944 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105206] [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: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 04/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
The risk of cancer in schizophrenia has been controversial. Confounders of the issue are cigarette smoking in schizophrenia, and antiproliferative effects of antipsychotic medications. The author has previously suggested comparison of a specific cancer like glioma to schizophrenia might help determine a more accurate relationship between cancer and schizophrenia. To accomplish this goal, the author performed three comparisons of data; the first a comparison of conventional tumor suppressors and oncogenes between schizophrenia and cancer including glioma. This comparison determined schizophrenia has both tumor-suppressive and tumor-promoting characteristics. A second, larger comparison between brain-expressed microRNAs in schizophrenia with their expression in glioma was then performed. This identified a core carcinogenic group of miRNAs in schizophrenia offset by a larger group of tumor-suppressive miRNAs. This proposed "balance of power" between oncogenes and tumor suppressors could cause neuroinflammation. This was assessed by a third comparison between schizophrenia, glioma and inflammation in asbestos-related lung cancer and mesothelioma (ALRCM). This revealed that schizophrenia shares more oncogenic similarity to ALRCM than glioma.
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5
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Dean B, Haroutunian V, Scarr E. Lower levels of cortical [ 3H]pirenzepine binding to postmortem tissue defines a sub-group of older people with schizophrenia with less severe cognitive deficits. Schizophr Res 2023; 255:274-282. [PMID: 37079947 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2023.03.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Revised: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2023] [Indexed: 04/22/2023]
Abstract
Multiple lines of evidence argue for lower levels of cortical muscarinic M1 receptors (CHRM1) in people with schizophrenia which is possibly due to a sub-group within the disorder who have a marked loss of CHRM1 (muscarinic receptor deficit sub-group (MRDS)). In this study we sought to determine if the lower levels of CHRM1 was apparent in older people with schizophrenia and whether the loss of CHRM1 was associated with symptom severity by measuring levels of cortical [3H]pirenzepine binding to CHRM1 from 56 people with schizophrenia and 43 controls. Compared to controls (173 ± 6.3 fmol / mg protein), there were lower levels of cortical [3H]pirenzepine binding in the people with schizophrenia (mean ± SEM: 153 ± 6.0 fmol / mg protein; p = 0.02; Cohen's d = - 0.46). [3H]pirenzepine binding in the people with schizophrenia, but not controls, was not normally distributed and best fitted a two-population solution. The nadir of binding separating the two groups of people with schizophrenia was 121 fmol / mg protein and levels of [3H]pirenzepine binding below this value had a 90.7 % specificity for the disorder. Compared to controls, the score from the Clinical Dementia Rating Scale (CDR) did not differ significantly in MRDS but were significantly higher in the sub-group with normal radioligand binding. Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale scores did not differ between the two sub-groups with schizophrenia. Our current study replicates and earlier finding showing a MRDS within schizophrenia and, for the first time, suggest this sub-group have less severe cognitive deficits others with schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Dean
- The Synaptic Biology and Cognition Laboratory, The Florey Institute for Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, the University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Vahram Haroutunian
- Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; The Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Centers, JJ Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Elizabeth Scarr
- Melbourne Veterinary School, Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
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6
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Dean B, Bakker G, Ueda HR, Tobin AB, Brown A, Kanaan RAA. A growing understanding of the role of muscarinic receptors in the molecular pathology and treatment of schizophrenia. Front Cell Neurosci 2023; 17:1124333. [PMID: 36909280 PMCID: PMC9992992 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1124333] [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: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Pre-clinical models, postmortem and neuroimaging studies all support a role for muscarinic receptors in the molecular pathology of schizophrenia. From these data it was proposed that activation of the muscarinic M1 and/or M4 receptor would reduce the severity of the symptoms of schizophrenia. This hypothesis is now supported by results from two clinical trials which indicate that activating central muscarinic M1 and M4 receptors can reduce the severity of positive, negative and cognitive symptoms of the disorder. This review will provide an update on a growing body of evidence that argues the muscarinic M1 and M4 receptors have critical roles in CNS functions that are dysregulated by the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. This realization has been made possible, in part, by the growing ability to visualize and quantify muscarinic M1 and M4 receptors in the human CNS using molecular neuroimaging. We will discuss how these advances have provided evidence to support the notion that there is a sub-group of patients within the syndrome of schizophrenia that have a unique molecular pathology driven by a marked loss of muscarinic M1 receptors. This review is timely, as drugs targeting muscarinic receptors approach clinical use for the treatment of schizophrenia and here we outline the background biology that supported development of such drugs to treat the disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Dean
- Synaptic Biology and Cognition Laboratory, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | | | - Hiroki R Ueda
- Department of Systems Pharmacology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.,Laboratory for Synthetic Biology, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Osaka, Japan
| | - Andrew B Tobin
- Advanced Research Centre (ARC), School of Molecular Bioscience, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | | | - Richard A A Kanaan
- Department of Psychiatry, Austin Health, The University of Melbourne, Heidelberg, VIC, Australia
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7
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Paul SM, Yohn SE, Popiolek M, Miller AC, Felder CC. Muscarinic Acetylcholine Receptor Agonists as Novel Treatments for Schizophrenia. Am J Psychiatry 2022; 179:611-627. [PMID: 35758639 DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.21101083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia remains a challenging disease to treat effectively with current antipsychotic medications due to their limited efficacy across the entire spectrum of core symptoms as well as their often burdensome side-effect profiles and poor tolerability. An unmet need remains for novel, mechanistically unique, and better tolerated therapeutic agents for treating schizophrenia, especially those that treat not only positive symptoms but also the negative and cognitive symptoms of the disease. Almost 25 years ago, the muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAChR) agonist xanomeline was reported to reduce psychotic symptoms and improve cognition in patients with Alzheimer's disease. The antipsychotic and procognitive properties of xanomeline were subsequently confirmed in a small study of acutely psychotic patients with chronic schizophrenia. These unexpected clinical findings have prompted considerable efforts across academia and industry to target mAChRs as a new approach to potentially treat schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders. The authors discuss recent advances in mAChR biology and pharmacology and the current understanding of the relative roles of the various mAChR subtypes, their downstream cellular effectors, and key neural circuits mediating the reduction in the core symptoms of schizophrenia in patients treated with xanomeline. They also provide an update on the status of novel mAChR agonists currently in development for potential treatment of schizophrenia and other neuropsychiatric disorders.
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8
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Wu XL, Yan QJ, Zhu F. Abnormal synaptic plasticity and impaired cognition in schizophrenia. World J Psychiatry 2022; 12:541-557. [PMID: 35582335 PMCID: PMC9048451 DOI: 10.5498/wjp.v12.i4.541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Revised: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a severe mental illness that affects several brain domains with relation to cognition and behaviour. SCZ symptoms are typically classified into three categories, namely, positive, negative, and cognitive. The etiology of SCZ is thought to be multifactorial and poorly understood. Accumulating evidence has indicated abnormal synaptic plasticity and cognitive impairments in SCZ. Synaptic plasticity is thought to be induced at appropriate synapses during memory formation and has a critical role in the cognitive symptoms of SCZ. Many factors, including synaptic structure changes, aberrant expression of plasticity-related genes, and abnormal synaptic transmission, may influence synaptic plasticity and play vital roles in SCZ. In this article, we briefly summarize the morphology of the synapse, the neurobiology of synaptic plasticity, and the role of synaptic plasticity, and review potential mechanisms underlying abnormal synaptic plasticity in SCZ. These abnormalities involve dendritic spines, postsynaptic density, and long-term potentiation-like plasticity. We also focus on cognitive dysfunction, which reflects impaired connectivity in SCZ. Additionally, the potential targets for the treatment of SCZ are discussed in this article. Therefore, understanding abnormal synaptic plasticity and impaired cognition in SCZ has an essential role in drug therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiu-Lin Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Virology and Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Medicine, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, Hubei Province, China
| | - Qiu-Jin Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Virology and Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Medicine, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, Hubei Province, China
| | - Fan Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Virology and Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Medicine, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, Hubei Province, China
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9
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Moderate Folic Acid Supplementation in Pregnant Mice Results in Altered Sex-Specific Gene Expression in Brain of Young Mice and Embryos. Nutrients 2022; 14:nu14051051. [PMID: 35268026 PMCID: PMC8912750 DOI: 10.3390/nu14051051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Revised: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 02/26/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Food fortification and increased vitamin intake have led to higher folic acid (FA) consumption by many pregnant women. We showed that FA-supplemented diet in pregnant mice (fivefold higher FA than the recommended level (5xFASD)) led to hyperactivity-like behavior and memory impairment in pups. Disturbed choline/methyl metabolism and altered placental gene expression were identified. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of 5xFASD on the brain at two developmental stages, postnatal day (P) 30 and embryonic day (E) 17.5. Female C57BL/6 mice were fed a control diet or 5xFASD for 1 month before mating. Diets were maintained throughout the pregnancy and lactation until P30 or during pregnancy until E17.5. The 5xFASD led to sex-specific transcription changes in P30 cerebral cortex and E17.5 cerebrum, with microarrays showing a total of 1003 and 623 changes, respectively. Enhanced mRNA degradation was observed in E17.5 cerebrum. Expression changes of genes involved in neurotransmission, neuronal growth and development, and angiogenesis were verified by qRT-PCR; 12 and 15 genes were verified at P30 and E17.5, respectively. Hippocampal collagen staining suggested decreased vessel density in FASD male embryos. This study provides insight into the mechanisms of neurobehavioral alterations and highlights potential deleterious consequences of moderate folate oversupplementation during pregnancy.
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Drug Design Targeting the Muscarinic Receptors and the Implications in Central Nervous System Disorders. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10020398. [PMID: 35203607 PMCID: PMC8962391 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10020398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Revised: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
There is substantial evidence that cholinergic system function impairment plays a significant role in many central nervous system (CNS) disorders. During the past three decades, muscarinic receptors (mAChRs) have been implicated in various pathologies and have been prominent targets of drug-design efforts. However, due to the high sequence homology of the orthosteric binding site, many drug candidates resulted in limited clinical success. Although several advances in treating peripheral pathologies have been achieved, targeting CNS pathologies remains challenging for researchers. Nevertheless, significant progress has been made in recent years to develop functionally selective orthosteric and allosteric ligands targeting the mAChRs with limited side effect profiles. This review highlights past efforts and focuses on recent advances in drug design targeting these receptors for Alzheimer’s disease (AD), schizophrenia (SZ), and depression.
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Cholinergic blockade of neuroinflammation – from tissue to RNA regulators. Neuronal Signal 2022; 6:NS20210035. [PMID: 35211331 PMCID: PMC8837817 DOI: 10.1042/ns20210035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Revised: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Inflammatory stimuli and consequent pro-inflammatory immune responses may facilitate neurodegeneration and threaten survival following pathogen infection or trauma, but potential controllers preventing these risks are incompletely understood. Here, we argue that small RNA regulators of acetylcholine (ACh) signaling, including microRNAs (miRs) and transfer RNA fragments (tRFs) may tilt the balance between innate and adaptive immunity, avoid chronic inflammation and prevent the neuroinflammation-mediated exacerbation of many neurological diseases. While the restrictive permeability of the blood–brain barrier (BBB) protects the brain from peripheral immune events, this barrier can be disrupted by inflammation and is weakened with age. The consequently dysregulated balance between pro- and anti-inflammatory processes may modify the immune activities of brain microglia, astrocytes, perivascular macrophages, oligodendrocytes and dendritic cells, leading to neuronal damage. Notably, the vagus nerve mediates the peripheral cholinergic anti-inflammatory reflex and underlines the consistent control of body–brain inflammation by pro-inflammatory cytokines, which affect cholinergic functions; therefore, the disruption of this reflex can exacerbate cognitive impairments such as attention deficits and delirium. RNA regulators can contribute to re-balancing the cholinergic network and avoiding its chronic deterioration, and their activities may differ between men and women and/or wear off with age. This can lead to hypersensitivity of aged patients to inflammation and higher risks of neuroinflammation-driven cholinergic impairments such as delirium and dementia following COVID-19 infection. The age- and sex-driven differences in post-transcriptional RNA regulators of cholinergic elements may hence indicate new personalized therapeutic options for neuroinflammatory diseases.
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Reversal of prenatal heroin-induced alterations in hippocampal gene expression via transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells during adulthood. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2022; 90:107063. [PMID: 34999215 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2022.107063] [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: 05/24/2021] [Revised: 01/03/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Neurobehavioral teratology is the study of typically subtle neurobehavioral birth defects. Our previously described mouse model demonstrated septohippocampal cholinergic innervation-related molecular and behavioral deficits after prenatal exposure to heroin. Since the alterations are below malformation level, they are likely to represent consequences of regulatory processes, feasibly gene expression. Consequently, in the present study pregnant mice were injected with heroin on gestation days 9-18 and were transplanted with mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) on postnatal day (PD) 105. The hippocampi of the offspring were analyzed on PD120 for the expression of the pertinent genes. Heroin induced global gender-dependent statistically significant changes in the expression of several genes. Significant Treatment X Sex interaction occurred in D1 and SOX2 genes (p < 0.01). Transplantation of MSC reversed the prenatal heroin-induced alterations in approximately 80% of the genes. The reversal index (RI), shifting the score of the heroin-exposed offspring by transplantation back toward the control level, was 0.61 ± 0.10 for the difference from RI = 0 (p < 0.001), confirming the validity of the effect of the neuroteratogens across variations among different genes. The present study suggests that neurobehavioral defects induced by prenatal heroin exposure are likely to be a consequence of regulatory changes. This study on prenatal exposure to insults with subsequent MSC therapy provides a model for elucidating the mechanisms of both the neuroteratogenicity and the therapy, steps that are critical for progress toward therapeutic applications.
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Stuke H. Markers of muscarinic deficit for individualized treatment in schizophrenia. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:1100030. [PMID: 36699495 PMCID: PMC9868756 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.1100030] [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: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent clinical studies have shown that agonists at muscarinic acetylcholine receptors effectively reduce schizophrenia symptoms. It is thus conceivable that, for the first time, a second substance class of procholinergic antipsychotics could become established alongside the usual antidopaminergic antipsychotics. In addition, various basic science studies suggest that there may be a subgroup of schizophrenia in which hypofunction of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors is of etiological importance. This could represent a major opportunity for individualized treatment of schizophrenia if markers can be identified that predict response to procholinergic vs. antidopaminergic interventions. In this perspective, non-response to antidopaminergic antipsychotics, specific symptom patterns like visual hallucinations and strong disorganization, the presence of antimuscarinic antibodies, ERP markers such as mismatch negativity, and radiotracers are presented as possible in vivo markers of muscarinic deficit and thus potentially of response to procholinergic therapeutics. Finally, open questions and further research steps are outlined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heiner Stuke
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Berlin Institute of Health at Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, BIH Biomedical Innovation Academy, Berlin, Germany
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14
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Magnolol upregulates CHRM1 to attenuate Amyloid-β-triggered neuronal injury through regulating the cAMP/PKA/CREB pathway. J Nat Med 2021; 76:188-199. [PMID: 34705126 DOI: 10.1007/s11418-021-01574-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a common neurodegenerative disease characterized by neuronal degeneration and hyperphosphorylated Tau. Magnolol is an active component isolated from Magnolia officinalis with potential neuroprotection activity. However, the function and mechanism of magnolol in AD progression is largely uncertain. In present study, the biomarkers related to AD and magnolol were predicted by bioinformatics analyses. The key biomarker levels were predicted by GSE5281 and GSE36980 using AlzData. Cell viability was detected by CCK-8 assay. mRNA and protein levels were examined by qRT-PCR and western blotting assays. Cell apoptosis was investigated by caspase-3 activity and flow cytometry analyses. The cAMP/PKA/CREB signaling was evaluated by ELISA and western blotting analyses. The results showed that CHRM1 was a key biomarker for magnolol against AD progression. Magnolol attenuated Aβ-induced viability inhibition, Tau hyperphosphorylation and apoptosis in SH-SY5Y cells by upregulating CHRM1. In addition, the cAMP signaling might be a potential pathway of CHRM1 in AD. Magnolol contributed to activation of the cAMP/PKA/CREB pathway through enhancing CHRM1 level. Inactivation of the cAMP/PKA/CREB signaling reversed the suppressive effect of magnolol on Tau hyperphosphorylation and apoptosis in Aβ-treated SH-SY5Y cells. As a conclusion, magnolol mitigated Aβ-induced Tau hyperphosphorylation and neuron apoptosis by upregulating CHRM1 and activating the cAMP/PKA/CREB pathway.
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15
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Schöbi D, Homberg F, Frässle S, Endepols H, Moran RJ, Friston KJ, Tittgemeyer M, Heinzle J, Stephan KE. Model-based prediction of muscarinic receptor function from auditory mismatch negativity responses. Neuroimage 2021; 237:118096. [PMID: 33940149 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Revised: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Drugs affecting neuromodulation, for example by dopamine or acetylcholine, take centre stage among therapeutic strategies in psychiatry. These neuromodulators can change both neuronal gain and synaptic plasticity and therefore affect electrophysiological measures. An important goal for clinical diagnostics is to exploit this effect in the reverse direction, i.e., to infer the status of specific neuromodulatory systems from electrophysiological measures. In this study, we provide proof-of-concept that the functional status of cholinergic (specifically muscarinic) receptors can be inferred from electrophysiological data using generative (dynamic causal) models. To this end, we used epidural EEG recordings over two auditory cortical regions during a mismatch negativity (MMN) paradigm in rats. All animals were treated, across sessions, with muscarinic receptor agonists and antagonists at different doses. Together with a placebo condition, this resulted in five levels of muscarinic receptor status. Using a dynamic causal model - embodying a small network of coupled cortical microcircuits - we estimated synaptic parameters and their change across pharmacological conditions. The ensuing parameter estimates associated with (the neuromodulation of) synaptic efficacy showed both graded muscarinic effects and predictive validity between agonistic and antagonistic pharmacological conditions. This finding illustrates the potential utility of generative models of electrophysiological data as computational assays of muscarinic function. In application to EEG data of patients from heterogeneous spectrum diseases, e.g. schizophrenia, such models might help identify subgroups of patients that respond differentially to cholinergic treatments. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: In psychiatry, the vast majority of pharmacological treatments affect actions of neuromodulatory transmitters, e.g. dopamine or acetylcholine. As treatment is largely trial-and-error based, one of the goals for computational psychiatry is to construct mathematical models that can serve as "computational assays" and infer the status of specific neuromodulatory systems in individual patients. This translational neuromodeling strategy has great promise for electrophysiological data in particular but requires careful validation. The present study demonstrates that the functional status of cholinergic (muscarinic) receptors can be inferred from electrophysiological data using dynamic causal models of neural circuits. While accuracy needs to be enhanced and our results must be replicated in larger samples, our current results provide proof-of-concept for computational assays of muscarinic function using EEG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dario Schöbi
- Translational Neuromodeling Unit, Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University of Zurich & Swiss Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich), Wilfriedstrasse 6, 8032, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Fabienne Homberg
- Boston Scientific Medizintechnik GmbH, Daniel-Goldbach-Strasse 17-27, 40880 Ratingen, Germany
| | - Stefan Frässle
- Translational Neuromodeling Unit, Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University of Zurich & Swiss Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich), Wilfriedstrasse 6, 8032, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Heike Endepols
- Preclinical Imaging Group, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50923 Cologne, Germany
| | - Rosalyn J Moran
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute for Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, London Se5 8AF, UK
| | - Karl J Friston
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, 12 Queen Square, London, WC1N, 3AR, UK
| | - Marc Tittgemeyer
- Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, Gleueler Strasse 50, 50931 Cologne, Germany; Cluster of Excellence in Cellular Stress and Aging associated Disease (CECAD), 50931 Cologne, Germany
| | - Jakob Heinzle
- Translational Neuromodeling Unit, Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University of Zurich & Swiss Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich), Wilfriedstrasse 6, 8032, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Klaas Enno Stephan
- Translational Neuromodeling Unit, Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University of Zurich & Swiss Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich), Wilfriedstrasse 6, 8032, Zurich, Switzerland; Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, 12 Queen Square, London, WC1N, 3AR, UK; Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, Gleueler Strasse 50, 50931 Cologne, Germany
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16
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Dean B, Pavey G, Scarr E. Higher levels of α7 nicotinic receptors, but not choline acetyltransferase, in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex from a sub-group of patients with schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 2020; 222:283-290. [PMID: 32507381 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2020.05.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2020] [Revised: 04/16/2020] [Accepted: 05/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
It has been suggested the study of sub-groups within the syndrome of schizophrenia will assist in elucidating the complex pathophysiology of the syndrome. Hence, we have studied a number of cholinergic markers in the cortex from a sub-group of subjects with schizophrenia that have a marked decrease in levels of muscarinic M1 receptors (MRDS). The displacement of [3H]NMS by cortical extracts was used to measure tissue anticholinergic load, [125I]α bungarotoxin binding was used to measure levels of the α7 nicotinic receptor (CHRNA7) and western blotting was used to measure levels of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) 68 and 82 as well as synaptosome nerve-associated protein 25 (SNAP25). In comparing schizophrenia, MRDS and non-MRDS to controls, there were no differences in levels of ChAT 68 or 82, SNAP 25 or cholinergic load in BA 9. However, levels of CHRNA7 were higher in BA 9, but not BA 6 or 44, from subjects with MRDS. These data argue that there is no change in cholinergic innovation (measured using ChAT), presynaptic neurons (measured using SNAP25) or cholinergic load in schizophrenia, MRDS or non-MRDS. However, increased levels of CHRNA7 may be contributing to a breakdown in cholinergic homeostasis in BA 9, but not BA 6 or 44, in subjects with MRDS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Dean
- The Molecular Psychiatry Laboratory, The Florey Institute for Neuroscience and Mental Health, Victoria, Australia; The Centre for Mental Health, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia; Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Geoffrey Pavey
- The Molecular Psychiatry Laboratory, The Florey Institute for Neuroscience and Mental Health, Victoria, Australia
| | - Elizabeth Scarr
- The Molecular Psychiatry Laboratory, The Florey Institute for Neuroscience and Mental Health, Victoria, Australia; Melbourne Veterinary School, Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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17
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Smigielski L, Jagannath V, Rössler W, Walitza S, Grünblatt E. Epigenetic mechanisms in schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders: a systematic review of empirical human findings. Mol Psychiatry 2020; 25:1718-1748. [PMID: 31907379 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-019-0601-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2019] [Revised: 11/05/2019] [Accepted: 11/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders are highly debilitating psychiatric conditions that lack a clear etiology and exhibit polygenic inheritance underlain by pleiotropic genes. The prevailing explanation points to the interplay between predisposing genes and environmental exposure. Accumulated evidence suggests that epigenetic regulation of the genome may mediate dynamic gene-environment interactions at the molecular level by modulating the expression of psychiatric phenotypes through transcription factors. This systematic review summarizes the current knowledge linking schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders to epigenetics, based on PubMed and Web of Science database searches conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines. Three groups of mechanisms in case-control studies of human tissue (i.e., postmortem brain and bio-fluids) were considered: DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding miRNAs. From the initial pool of 3,204 records, 152 studies met our inclusion criteria (11,815/11,528, 233/219, and 2,091/1,827 cases/controls for each group, respectively). Many of the findings revealed associations with epigenetic modulations of genes regulating neurotransmission, neurodevelopment, and immune function, as well as differential miRNA expression (e.g., upregulated miR-34a, miR-7, and miR-181b). Overall, actual evidence moderately supports an association between epigenetics and schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders. However, heterogeneous results and cross-tissue extrapolations call for future work. Integrating epigenetics into systems biology may critically enhance research on psychosis and thus our understanding of the disorder. This may have implications for psychiatry in risk stratification, early recognition, diagnostics, precision medicine, and other interventional approaches targeting epigenetic fingerprints.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukasz Smigielski
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. .,The Zurich Program for Sustainable Development of Mental Health Services (ZInEP), University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Vinita Jagannath
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD) R&D Innovation Centre, London, UK
| | - Wulf Rössler
- The Zurich Program for Sustainable Development of Mental Health Services (ZInEP), University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University Hospital of Psychiatry, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany.,Laboratory of Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Susanne Walitza
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,The Zurich Program for Sustainable Development of Mental Health Services (ZInEP), University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Zurich Center for Integrative Human Physiology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Edna Grünblatt
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Zurich Center for Integrative Human Physiology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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18
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Tan G, Wang L, Liu Y, Zhang H, Feng W, Liu Z. The alterations of circular RNA expression in plasma exosomes from patients with schizophrenia. J Cell Physiol 2020; 236:458-467. [PMID: 32542700 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.29873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2020] [Revised: 05/29/2020] [Accepted: 05/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia (SZ) is characterized by a high morbidity and disability rate and has gradually increased in rate and caused much burden. However, the pathogenesis of SZ is elusive and may include changes in the biological molecules in exosomes. In this study, we first compared the alterations of plasma exosomal circular RNAs (exo-circRNAs) from SZ patients and matched health controls by high-throughput sequencing. We further explored whether plasma exo-circRNAs can be estimable targets for researching the pathogenesis, potential diagnostic biomarkers, and therapeutic strategy of SZ. A total of 44 plasma exo-circRNAs were differentially expressed between SZ patients and matched Health Controls, including 38 upregulated circRNAs and six downregulated circRNAs (fold change ≥2; p < .05). Eight differentially expressed circRNAs were verified by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, and four out of eight circRNAs were positively confirmed and contained binding sites to many microRNAs. Bioinformatics analysis, including Gene Ontology analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis, showed that these differentially expressed circRNAs played potential roles in pathogenesis, especially regarding the metabolic process, stress response, and histone ubiquitination. In conclusion, this study supplies a new window for understanding the pathogenesis of SZ at molecular levels, and serves as a tool for better exploring potential diagnostic biomarkers and the therapeutic strategy for SZ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guifeng Tan
- Department of Neurology, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Limin Wang
- Department of Neurology, Guangdong General Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangdong Neuroscience Institute, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yunyun Liu
- Department of Neurology, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Han Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Wenhui Feng
- Department of Neurology, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Zhonglin Liu
- Department of Neurology, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
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19
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Muscarinic M1 and M4 receptors: Hypothesis driven drug development for schizophrenia. Psychiatry Res 2020; 288:112989. [PMID: 32315882 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2020.112989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2020] [Revised: 04/05/2020] [Accepted: 04/06/2020] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
The finding that the drug KarXT, a formulation of xanomeline and tropsium which targets muscarinic receptors, has given a positive result in reducing the positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia in a phase II trial suggests targeting muscarinic receptors is a new approach to treating the disorder. This review will detail the synergistic interplay between studies to understand the role of muscarinic receptors in the aetiology of schizophrenia and drug development and how this has supported the hypothesis that activating the muscarinic M1 and M4 receptors is critical to the efficacy of KarXT, in schizophrenia. The discovery of an intermediate phenotype within schizophrenia which is characterised by the presence of a marked loss of cortical muscarinic M1 receptors will be reviewed. Highlighted will be progress in understanding the biochemistry of that intermediate phenotype and evidence to suggest that those with the intermediate phenotype may resist treatment with agonist to the orthosteric site on the muscarinic M1 and M4 receptor. Finally, the possibility of using drugs targeting the allosteric binding sites on muscarinic receptors to treat schizophrenia will be discussed. This timely review will therefore highlight how research can influence hypothesis driven drug discovery that should produce new treatments for schizophrenia.
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20
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Ryan AE, Mowry BJ, Kesby JP, Scott JG, Greer JM. Is there a role for antibodies targeting muscarinic acetylcholine receptors in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia? Aust N Z J Psychiatry 2019; 53:1059-1069. [PMID: 31347380 DOI: 10.1177/0004867419864438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Muscarinic receptor dysfunction has been suggested to play an important role in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Recently, it has also become clear that immune reactivity directed against neurotransmitter receptors may play a pathogenic role in some cases of schizophrenia. The aim of this review is to summarize the case for muscarinic receptor dysfunction in schizophrenia and the evidence supporting the hypothesis that this dysfunction is related to the development of muscarinic receptor-targeting antibodies. METHOD The article reviews studies of muscarinic receptors and the presence and potential role(s) of anti-muscarinic acetylcholine receptor antibodies in people with schizophrenia. RESULTS There is accumulating evidence that altered or deficient muscarinic signalling underlies some of the key clinical features of schizophrenia. Although the number of studies investigating anti-muscarinic acetylcholine receptor antibodies in schizophrenia is relatively small, they consistently demonstrate that such antibodies are present in a proportion of patients. This evidence suggests that these antibodies could have pathogenic effects or exist as a biomarker to an unknown pathophysiological process in schizophrenia. CONCLUSION The presence of elevated levels of anti-muscarinic acetylcholine receptor antibodies may identify a subgroup of people with schizophrenia, potentially informing aetiopathogenesis, clinical presentation and treatment. To date, all studies have examined antibodies in participants with chronic schizophrenia, who have likely received antipsychotic medication for many years. As these medications modulate immune functions and regulate receptor densities, it is recommended that future studies screen for the presence of anti-muscarinic antibodies in people experiencing their first episode of psychosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander E Ryan
- UQ Centre for Clinical Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, The Park Centre for Mental Health, Wacol, QLD, Australia
| | - Bryan J Mowry
- Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, The Park Centre for Mental Health, Wacol, QLD, Australia.,Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - James P Kesby
- UQ Centre for Clinical Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - James G Scott
- UQ Centre for Clinical Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, The Park Centre for Mental Health, Wacol, QLD, Australia.,School of Public Health, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Metro North Mental Health, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Herston, QLD, Australia
| | - Judith M Greer
- UQ Centre for Clinical Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
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21
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Van der Auwera S, Ameling S, Wittfeld K, d'Harcourt Rowold E, Nauck M, Völzke H, Suhre K, Najafi-Shoushtari H, Methew J, Ramachandran V, Bülow R, Völker U, Grabe HJ. Association of childhood traumatization and neuropsychiatric outcomes with altered plasma micro RNA-levels. Neuropsychopharmacology 2019; 44:2030-2037. [PMID: 31284290 PMCID: PMC6898678 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-019-0460-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2019] [Revised: 06/27/2019] [Accepted: 06/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Childhood traumatization (CT) is associated with the development of several neuropsychiatric disorders in later life. Experimental data in animals and observational data in humans revealed evidence for biological alterations in response to CT that may contribute to its long-term consequences. This includes epigenetic changes in miRNA levels that contribute to complex alterations of gene expression. We investigated the association between CT and 121 miRNAs in a target sample of N = 150 subjects from the general population and patients from the Department of Psychiatry. We hypothesized that CT exhibits a long-term effect on miRNA plasma levels. We supported our findings using bioinformatics tools and databases. Among the 121 miRNAs 22 were nominally significantly associated with CT and four of them (let-7g-5p, miR-103a-3p, miR-107, and miR-142-3p) also after correction for multiple testing; most of them were previously associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD) or depression. Pathway analyses of target genes identified significant pathways involved in neurodevelopment, inflammation and intracellular transduction signaling. In an independent general population sample (N = 587) three of the four miRNAs were replicated. Extended analyses in the general population sample only (N = 687) showed associations of the four miRNAs with gender, memory, and brain volumes. We gained increasing evidence for a link between CT, depression and AD through miRNA alterations. We hypothesize that depression and AD not only share environmental factors like CT but also biological factors like altered miRNA levels. This miRNA pattern could serve as mediating factor on the biological path from CT to adult neuropsychiatric disorders.
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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
| | - Katharina Wittfeld
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
- German Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Site Rostock/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
| | - Karsten Suhre
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, Ar-Rayyan, Qatar
| | - Hani Najafi-Shoushtari
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, 10021, NY, USA
- Division of Research, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, Qatar Foundation, Education City, P.O. Box 24144, Doha, Qatar
| | - Jaicy Methew
- Division of Research, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, Qatar Foundation, Education City, P.O. Box 24144, Doha, Qatar
| | - Vimal Ramachandran
- Division of Research, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, Qatar Foundation, Education City, P.O. Box 24144, Doha, Qatar
| | - Robin Bülow
- Institute of Diagnostic Radiology and Neuroradiology, 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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22
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Effect of cannabidiol on muscarinic neurotransmission in the pre-frontal cortex and hippocampus of the poly I:C rat model of schizophrenia. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2019; 94:109640. [PMID: 31108177 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2019.109640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2018] [Revised: 04/25/2019] [Accepted: 04/30/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Cognitive impairment is a core symptom of schizophrenia; however, current antipsychotic drugs have limited efficacy to treat these symptoms and can cause serious side-effects, highlighting a need for novel therapeutics. Cannabidiol (CBD) is a non-intoxicating phytocannabinoid that has demonstrated pro-cognitive effects in multiple disease states, including a maternal immune activation (poly I:C) model of schizophrenia, but the mechanisms underlying the efficacy of CBD require investigation. Muscarinic neurotransmission is highly implicated in the cognitive impairments of schizophrenia; however, the effect of CBD on this system is unknown. We examined alterations in markers of muscarinic neurotransmission in the pre-frontal cortex (PFC) and hippocampus (HPC) following CBD treatment. Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 16) were administered poly I:C (4 mg/kg) or saline. Adult offspring were treated (3-weeks) with CBD (10 mg/kg) or vehicle. Receptor autoradiography (using [3H]pirenzepine) was used to examine changes in muscarinic M1/M4 receptor (M1/M4R) binding density. Levels of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) protein expression were examined using Western blot. M1/M4R binding density was downregulated in the PFC and CA1/CA2 and CA3 subregions in male poly I:C offspring. M1/M4R deficits were normalised after CBD treatment. ChAT protein expression was reduced in the HPC of male poly I:C offspring, while CBD treated poly I:C offspring exhibited control-like ChAT levels. AChE levels were unaltered in any of the groups. There were also no changes in muscarinic signalling in female offspring. These findings demonstrate that CBD can normalise muscarinic neurotransmission imbalances in male poly I:C offspring in regions of the brain implicated in cognition.
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23
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Teal LB, Gould RW, Felts AS, Jones CK. Selective allosteric modulation of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors for the treatment of schizophrenia and substance use disorders. ADVANCES IN PHARMACOLOGY (SAN DIEGO, CALIF.) 2019; 86:153-196. [PMID: 31378251 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apha.2019.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAChRs) subtypes represent exciting new targets for the treatment of schizophrenia and substance use disorder (SUD). Recent advances in the development of subtype-selective allosteric modulators have revealed promising effects in preclinical models targeting the different symptoms observed in schizophrenia and SUD. M1 PAMs display potential for addressing the negative and cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia, while M4 PAMs exhibit promise in treating preclinical models predictive of antipsychotic-like activity. In SUD, there is increasing support for modulation of mesocorticolimbic dopaminergic circuitry involved in SUD with selective M4 mAChR PAMs or M5 mAChR NAMs. Allosteric modulators of these mAChR subtypes have demonstrated efficacy in rodent models of cocaine and ethanol seeking, with indications that these ligand may also be useful for other substances of abuse, as well as in various stages in the cycle of addiction. Importantly, allosteric modulators of the different mAChR subtypes may provide viable treatment options, while conferring greater subtype specificity and corresponding enhanced therapeutic index than orthosteric muscarinic ligands and maintaining endogenous temporo-spatial ACh signaling. Overall, subtype specific mAChR allosteric modulators represent important novel therapeutic mechanisms for schizophrenia and SUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura B Teal
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States; Vanderbilt Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Robert W Gould
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States; Vanderbilt Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Andrew S Felts
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States; Vanderbilt Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Carrie K Jones
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States; Vanderbilt Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States.
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24
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Yohn SE, Conn PJ. Positive allosteric modulation of M 1 and M 4 muscarinic receptors as potential therapeutic treatments for schizophrenia. Neuropharmacology 2018; 136:438-448. [PMID: 28893562 PMCID: PMC5844786 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2017.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2017] [Revised: 09/06/2017] [Accepted: 09/08/2017] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Current antipsychotic drugs provide symptomatic relief for positive symptoms of schizophrenia, but do not offer symptom management for negative and cognitive symptoms. In addition, many patients discontinue treatment due to adverse side effects. Therefore, there is a critical need to develop more effective and safe treatment options. Although the etiology of schizophrenia is unclear, considerable data from post-mortem, neuroimaging and neuropharmacology studies support a role of the muscarinic acetylcholine (mAChRs) in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Substantial evidence suggests that activation of mAChRs has the potential to treat all symptom domains of schizophrenia. Despite encouraging results in demonstrating efficacy, clinical trials of nonselective mAChR agonists were limited in their clinical utility due to dose-limiting peripheral side effects. Accordingly, efforts have been made to specifically target centrally located M1 and M4 mAChR subtypes devoid of adverse-effect liability. To circumvent this limitation, there have been tremendous advances in the discovery of ligands that bind at allosteric sites, binding sites distinct from the orthosteric site, which are structurally less conserved and thereby afford high levels of receptor subtype selectivity. The discovery of subtype-specific allosteric modulators has greatly advanced our understanding of the physiological role of various muscarinic receptor subtypes in schizophrenia and the potential utility of M1 and M4 mAChR subtypes as targets for the development of novel treatments for schizophrenia and related disorders. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled 'Neuropharmacology on Muscarinic Receptors'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha E Yohn
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, United States; Vanderbilt Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
| | - P Jeffrey Conn
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, United States; Vanderbilt Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, United States.
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25
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Gibbons A, Udawela M, Dean B. Non-Coding RNA as Novel Players in the Pathophysiology of Schizophrenia. Noncoding RNA 2018; 4:E11. [PMID: 29657307 PMCID: PMC6027250 DOI: 10.3390/ncrna4020011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2018] [Revised: 03/29/2018] [Accepted: 04/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia is associated with diverse changes in the brain's transcriptome and proteome. Underlying these changes is the complex dysregulation of gene expression and protein production that varies both spatially across brain regions and temporally with the progression of the illness. The growing body of literature showing changes in non-coding RNA in individuals with schizophrenia offers new insights into the mechanisms causing this dysregulation. A large number of studies have reported that the expression of microRNA (miRNA) is altered in the brains of individuals with schizophrenia. This evidence is complemented by findings that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in miRNA host gene sequences can confer an increased risk of developing the disorder. Additionally, recent evidence suggests the expression of other non-coding RNAs, such as small nucleolar RNA and long non-coding RNA, may also be affected in schizophrenia. Understanding how these changes in non-coding RNAs contribute to the development and progression of schizophrenia offers potential avenues for the better treatment and diagnosis of the disorder. This review will focus on the evidence supporting the involvement of non-coding RNA in schizophrenia and its therapeutic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Gibbons
- The Florey Institute for Neuroscience and Mental Health, 30 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia.
- The Department of Psychiatry, the University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Madhara Udawela
- The Florey Institute for Neuroscience and Mental Health, 30 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia.
| | - Brian Dean
- The Florey Institute for Neuroscience and Mental Health, 30 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia.
- The Centre for Mental Health, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia.
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26
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Cao T, Zhen XC. Dysregulation of miRNA and its potential therapeutic application in schizophrenia. CNS Neurosci Ther 2018. [PMID: 29529357 DOI: 10.1111/cns.12840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Although it is generally believed that genetic and developmental factors play critical roles in pathogenesis of schizophrenia, however, the precise etiological mechanism of schizophrenia remains largely unknown. Over past decades, miRNAs have emerged as an essential post-transcriptional regulator in gene expression regulation. The importance of miRNA in brain development and neuroplasticity has been well-established. Abnormal expression and dysfunction of miRNAs are known to involve in the pathophysiology of many neuropsychiatric diseases including schizophrenia. In this review, we summarized the recent findings in the schizophrenia-associated dysregulation of miRNA and functional roles in the development and pathogenesis of schizophrenia. We also discussed the potential therapeutic implications of miRNA regulation in the illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Cao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, China.,The Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Xue-Chu Zhen
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, China.,The Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
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27
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Scarr E, Udawela M, Thomas EA, Dean B. Changed gene expression in subjects with schizophrenia and low cortical muscarinic M1 receptors predicts disrupted upstream pathways interacting with that receptor. Mol Psychiatry 2018; 23:295-303. [PMID: 27801890 PMCID: PMC5794886 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2016.195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2016] [Revised: 08/24/2016] [Accepted: 08/26/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
We tested the hypothesis that, compared with subjects with no history of psychiatric illness (controls), changes in gene expression in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex from two subgroups of subjects with schizophrenia, one with a marked deficit in muscarinic M1 receptors (muscarinic receptor-deficit schizophrenia (MRDS)), would identify different biochemical pathways that would be affected by their aetiologies. Hence, we measured levels of cortical (Brodmann area 9) mRNA in 15 MRDS subjects, 15 subjects with schizophrenia but without a deficit in muscarinic M1 receptors (non-MRDS) and 15 controls using Affymetrix Exon 1.0 ST arrays. Levels of mRNA for 65 genes were significantly different in the cortex of subjects with MRDS and predicted changes in pathways involved in cellular movement and cell-to-cell signalling. Levels of mRNA for 45 genes were significantly different in non-MRDS and predicted changes in pathways involved in cellular growth and proliferation as well as cellular function and maintenance. Changes in gene expression also predicted effects on pathways involved in amino acid metabolism, molecular transport and small-molecule biochemistry in both MRDS and non-MRDS. Overall, our data argue a prominent role for glial function in MRDS and neurodevelopment in non-MRDS. Finally, the interactions of gene with altered levels of mRNA in the cortex of subjects with MRDS suggest many of their affects will be upstream of the muscarinic M1 receptor. Our study gives new insight into the molecular pathways affected in the cortex of subjects with MRDS and supports the notion that studying subgroups within the syndrome of schizophrenia is worthwhile.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Scarr
- Molecular Psychiatry Laboratory, Florey Institute for Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC, Australia,CRC for Mental Health, Carlton, VIC, Australia,Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - M Udawela
- Molecular Psychiatry Laboratory, Florey Institute for Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC, Australia,CRC for Mental Health, Carlton, VIC, Australia
| | - E A Thomas
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, Australia
| | - B Dean
- Molecular Psychiatry Laboratory, Florey Institute for Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC, Australia,CRC for Mental Health, Carlton, VIC, Australia,Molecular Psychiatry Laboratory, Florey Institute for Neuroscience and Mental Health, 30 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia. E-mail:
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28
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Roost MS, Slieker RC, Bialecka M, van Iperen L, Gomes Fernandes MM, He N, Suchiman HED, Szuhai K, Carlotti F, de Koning EJP, Mummery CL, Heijmans BT, Chuva de Sousa Lopes SM. DNA methylation and transcriptional trajectories during human development and reprogramming of isogenic pluripotent stem cells. Nat Commun 2017; 8:908. [PMID: 29030611 PMCID: PMC5640655 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-01077-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2016] [Accepted: 08/16/2017] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Determining cell identity and maturation status of differentiated pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) requires knowledge of the transcriptional and epigenetic trajectory of organs during development. Here, we generate a transcriptional and DNA methylation atlas covering 21 organs during human fetal development. Analysis of multiple isogenic organ sets shows that organ-specific DNA methylation patterns are highly dynamic between week 9 (W9) and W22 of gestation. We investigate the impact of reprogramming on organ-specific DNA methylation by generating human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) lines from six isogenic organs. All isogenic hiPSCs acquire DNA methylation patterns comparable to existing hPSCs. However, hiPSCs derived from fetal brain retain brain-specific DNA methylation marks that seem sufficient to confer higher propensity to differentiate to neural derivatives. This systematic analysis of human fetal organs during development and associated isogenic hiPSC lines provides insights in the role of DNA methylation in lineage commitment and epigenetic reprogramming in humans.While DNA methylation and gene expression data are widely available for animal models, comprehensive data from human development is rarer. Here, the authors generated transcriptional and DNA methylation data from 21 organs during human development and 6 isogenic induced pluripotent stem cell lines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias S Roost
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, Einthovenweg 20, 2333 ZC, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Roderick C Slieker
- Molecular Epidemiology Section, Leiden University Medical Center, Einthovenweg 20, 2333 ZC, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Monika Bialecka
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, Einthovenweg 20, 2333 ZC, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Liesbeth van Iperen
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, Einthovenweg 20, 2333 ZC, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Maria M Gomes Fernandes
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, Einthovenweg 20, 2333 ZC, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Nannan He
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, Einthovenweg 20, 2333 ZC, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - H Eka D Suchiman
- Molecular Epidemiology Section, Leiden University Medical Center, Einthovenweg 20, 2333 ZC, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Karoly Szuhai
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, Einthovenweg 20, 2333 ZC, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Françoise Carlotti
- Department of Nephrology, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Eelco J P de Koning
- Department of Nephrology, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Hubrecht Institute, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Christine L Mummery
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, Einthovenweg 20, 2333 ZC, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Bastiaan T Heijmans
- Molecular Epidemiology Section, Leiden University Medical Center, Einthovenweg 20, 2333 ZC, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Susana M Chuva de Sousa Lopes
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, Einthovenweg 20, 2333 ZC, Leiden, The Netherlands. .,Department for Reproductive Medicine, Ghent University Hospital, De Pintelaan 185, 9000, Ghent, Belgium.
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29
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Foster DJ, Conn PJ. Allosteric Modulation of GPCRs: New Insights and Potential Utility for Treatment of Schizophrenia and Other CNS Disorders. Neuron 2017; 94:431-446. [PMID: 28472649 PMCID: PMC5482176 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2017.03.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 163] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2016] [Revised: 03/02/2017] [Accepted: 03/09/2017] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) play critical roles in regulating brain function. Recent advances have greatly expanded our understanding of these receptors as complex signaling machines that can adopt numerous conformations and modulate multiple downstream signaling pathways. While agonists and antagonists have traditionally been pursued to target GPCRs, allosteric modulators provide several mechanistic advantages, including the ability to distinguish between closely related receptor subtypes. Recently, the discovery of allosteric ligands that confer bias and modulate some, but not all, of a given receptor's downstream signaling pathways can provide pharmacological modulation of brain circuitry with remarkable precision. In addition, allosteric modulators with unprecedented specificity have been developed that can differentiate between subpopulations of a given receptor subtype based on the receptor's dimerization state. These advances are not only providing insight into the biological roles of specific receptor populations, but hold great promise for treating numerous CNS disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J Foster
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - P Jeffrey Conn
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.
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30
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Simchovitz A, Heneka MT, Soreq H. Personalized genetics of the cholinergic blockade of neuroinflammation. J Neurochem 2017; 142 Suppl 2:178-187. [PMID: 28326544 PMCID: PMC5600134 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.13928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2016] [Revised: 11/27/2016] [Accepted: 12/05/2016] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Acetylcholine signaling is essential for cognitive functioning and blocks inflammation. To maintain homeostasis, cholinergic signaling is subjected to multi‐leveled and bidirectional regulation by both proteins and non‐coding microRNAs (‘CholinomiRs’). CholinomiRs coordinate the cognitive and inflammatory aspects of cholinergic signaling by targeting major cholinergic transcripts including the acetylcholine hydrolyzing enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE). Notably, AChE inhibitors are the only currently approved line of treatment for Alzheimer's disease patients. Since cholinergic signaling blocks neuroinflammation which is inherent to Alzheimer's disease, genomic changes modifying AChE's properties and its susceptibility to inhibitors and/or to CholinomiRs regulation may affect the levels and properties of inflammasome components such as NLRP3. This calls for genomic‐based medicine approaches based on genotyping of both coding and non‐coding single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the genes involved in cholinergic signaling. An example is a SNP in a recognition element for the primate‐specific microRNA‐608 within the 3′ untranslated region of the AChE transcript. Carriers of the minor allele of that SNP present massively elevated brain AChE levels, increased trait anxiety and inflammation, accompanied by perturbed CholinomiR‐608 regulatory networks and elevated prefrontal activity under exposure to stressful insults. Several additional SNPs in the AChE and other cholinergic genes await further studies, and might likewise involve different CholinomiRs and pathways including those modulating the initiation and progression of neurodegenerative diseases. CholinomiRs regulation of the cholinergic system thus merits in‐depth interrogation and is likely to lead to personalized medicine approaches for achieving better homeostasis in health and disease. This is an article for the special issue XVth International Symposium on Cholinergic Mechanisms. ![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Alon Simchovitz
- Department of Biological Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Givat Ram, Jerusalem, Israel
| | | | - Hermona Soreq
- Department of Biological Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Givat Ram, Jerusalem, Israel
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31
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Grannan MD, Mielnik CA, Moran SP, Gould RW, Ball J, Lu Z, Bubser M, Ramsey AJ, Abe M, Cho HP, Nance KD, Blobaum AL, Niswender CM, Conn PJ, Lindsley CW, Jones CK. Prefrontal Cortex-Mediated Impairments in a Genetic Model of NMDA Receptor Hypofunction Are Reversed by the Novel M 1 PAM VU6004256. ACS Chem Neurosci 2016; 7:1706-1716. [PMID: 27617634 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.6b00230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Abnormalities in the signaling of the N-methyl-d-aspartate subtype of the glutamate receptor (NMDAR) within cortical and limbic brain regions are thought to underlie many of the complex cognitive and affective symptoms observed in individuals with schizophrenia. The M1 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAChR) subtype is a closely coupled signaling partner of the NMDAR. Accumulating evidence suggests that development of selective positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) of the M1 receptor represent an important treatment strategy for the potential normalization of disruptions in NMDAR signaling in patients with schizophrenia. In the present studies, we evaluated the effects of the novel and highly potent M1 PAM, VU6004256, in ameliorating selective prefrontal cortical (PFC)-mediated physiologic and cognitive abnormalities in a genetic mouse model of global reduction in the NR1 subunit of the NMDAR (NR1 knockdown [KD]). Using slice-based extracellular field potential recordings, deficits in muscarinic agonist-induced long-term depression (LTD) in layer V of the PFC in the NR1 KD mice were normalized with bath application of VU6004256. Systemic administration of VU6004256 also reduced excessive pyramidal neuron firing in layer V PFC neurons in awake, freely moving NR1 KD mice. Moreover, selective potentiation of M1 by VU6004256 reversed the performance impairments of NR1 KD mice observed in two preclinical models of PFC-mediated learning, specifically the novel object recognition and cue-mediated fear conditioning tasks. VU6004256 also produced a robust, dose-dependent reduction in the hyperlocomotor activity of NR1 KD mice. Taken together, the current findings provide further support for M1 PAMs as a novel therapeutic approach for the PFC-mediated impairments in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael D. Grannan
- Department
of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, United States
- Vanderbilt
Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, United States
| | - Catharine A. Mielnik
- Department
of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Sean P. Moran
- Department
of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, United States
- Vanderbilt
Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, United States
| | - Robert W. Gould
- Department
of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, United States
- Vanderbilt
Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, United States
| | - Jacob Ball
- Department
of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, United States
- Vanderbilt
Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, United States
| | - Zhuoyan Lu
- Department
of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, United States
- Vanderbilt
Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, United States
| | - Michael Bubser
- Department
of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, United States
- Vanderbilt
Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, United States
| | - Amy J. Ramsey
- Department
of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Masahito Abe
- Department
of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, United States
- Vanderbilt
Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, United States
| | - Hyekyung P. Cho
- Department
of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, United States
- Vanderbilt
Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, United States
| | - Kellie D. Nance
- Vanderbilt
Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, United States
- Department
of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, United States
| | - Anna L. Blobaum
- Department
of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, United States
- Vanderbilt
Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, United States
| | - Colleen M. Niswender
- Department
of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, United States
- Vanderbilt
Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, United States
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, United States
| | - P. Jeffrey Conn
- Department
of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, United States
- Vanderbilt
Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, United States
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, United States
| | - Craig W. Lindsley
- Department
of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, United States
- Vanderbilt
Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, United States
- Department
of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, United States
| | - Carrie K. Jones
- Department
of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, United States
- Vanderbilt
Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, United States
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32
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Dean B, Copolov D, Scarr E. Understanding the pathophysiology of schizophrenia: Contributions from the Melbourne Psychiatric Brain Bank. Schizophr Res 2016; 177:108-114. [PMID: 27184458 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2016.04.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2016] [Revised: 04/20/2016] [Accepted: 04/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The Melbourne Psychiatric Brain Bank came into existence 25years ago. This review focusses on lines of research that have used tissue from the Brain Bank over periods of time. Hence there is a discussion on the significance of changes in levels of serotonin 2A receptors in the cortex of patients with schizophrenia and the relevance of such changes with regards to the pathophysiology of the disorder. The extensive contribution made by studies using tissue from the Melbourne Psychiatric Brain Bank to understanding the role of muscarinic receptors in the pathophysiology and treatment of schizophrenia is summarised. Finally, findings using brain bank tissue and "omics" technologies are reviewed. In each case, findings using tissue from the Melbourne Psychiatric Brain Bank is placed in context with research carried out on human postmortem CNS in schizophrenia and with findings in other lines of research that can help explain the causes or consequences of changes in CNS molecular cytoarchitecture. This timely review of data from the Melbourne Psychiatric Brain Bank reinforces the challenges faced in trying to increase our understanding of the molecular pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Continuing to increase our understanding of the disorder is important as a precursor to identifying new drug targets that can be exploited to improve the treatment of a disorder where treatment resistance remains a significant problem (Millan et al., 2016).
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Dean
- The Molecular Psychiatry Laboratory, The Florey Institute for Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
| | - David Copolov
- Office of the Vice-Chancellor and President, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Elizabeth Scarr
- The Molecular Psychiatry Laboratory, The Florey Institute for Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
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33
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Evidence for impaired glucose metabolism in the striatum, obtained postmortem, from some subjects with schizophrenia. Transl Psychiatry 2016; 6:e949. [PMID: 27845781 PMCID: PMC5314134 DOI: 10.1038/tp.2016.226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2016] [Accepted: 09/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies using central nervous system tissue obtained postmortem suggest pathways involved in energy and metabolism contribute to the pathophysiology of schizophrenia; neuroimaging studies suggesting glucose metabolism is particularly affected in the striatum. To gain information on the status of pathways involved in glucose metabolism in the striatum, we measured levels of glucose, pyruvate, acetyl-CoA and lactate as well as the β subunit of pyruvate dehydrogenase, a rate limiting enzyme, in the postmortem tissue from subjects with schizophrenia and age/sex-matched controls. The subjects with schizophrenia were made up of two subgroups, which could be divided because they either had (muscarinic receptor deficit schizophrenia (MRDS)), or did not have (non-MRDS), a marked deficit in cortical muscarinic receptors. Compared to controls, levels of β subunit of pyruvate dehydrogenase were lower (Δ mean=-20%) and levels of pyruvate (Δ mean=+47%) and lactate (Δ mean=+15%) were significantly higher in the striatum from subjects with schizophrenia. Notably, in subjects with non-MRDS, striatal levels of β subunit of pyruvate dehydrogenase were lower (Δ mean=-29%), whereas levels of pyruvate (Δ mean=-66%), acetyl-CoA (Δ mean=-28%) and glucose (Δ mean=-27%) were higher, whereas levels of lactate (Δ mean=+17%) were higher in MRDS. Finally, discriminate analyses using levels the β subunit of pyruvate dehydrogenase and glucose, or better still, β subunit of pyruvate dehydrogenase and glucose in combination with pyruvate, lactate or acetyl-CoA could separate subjects with non-MRDS from controls with high levels of specificity (up to 93%) and selectivity (up to 91%). Our data show the benefit of being able to study defined subgroups within the syndrome of schizophrenia as such an approach has revealed that changes in glucose metabolism may be a significant contributor to the pathophysiology of non-MRDS.
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34
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Dean B, Scarr E. COMT genotype is associated with differential expression of muscarinic M1 receptors in human cortex. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet 2016; 171:784-9. [PMID: 26954460 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.b.32440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2015] [Accepted: 02/10/2016] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) genotype has been associated with varying levels of cognitive functioning and an altered risk of schizophrenia. COMT regulates the breakdown of catecholamines, particularly dopamine, which is thought critical in maintaining cognitive function and the aetiology of schizophrenia. This hypothesis gained support from reports that the VAL allele at rs4680 was associated with poorer performance on cognitive tests and a slightly increased risk of schizophrenia. More recently, genotype at rs4818, part of a hapblock with rs4680, has been shown to impact on cognitive ability more than genotype at rs4680 but, as yet, not the risk for schizophrenia. Here, we determined if COMT genotype at rs4680 or rs4818, as well as rs165519 and rs737865, two synonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with no known functional consequences, were associated with an altered risk of schizophrenia and if genotype at the four COMT SNPs was related to expression of the cortical muscarinic M1 receptor (CHRM1) because the expression of the cortical CHRM1 has been reported to be lower in schizophrenia and is important in maintaining cognitive functioning in humans. We report that the variation in gene sequence at the four COMT SNPs studied was not associated with an altered the risk of schizophrenia but genotype at rs4680 and rs4818, but not rs165519 and rs737865, were associated with varying levels of cortical CHRM1 expression in the human dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). These data are the first to suggest that levels of CHRM1 in the human DLPFC are, in part, determined by COMT gene sequence. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Dean
- The Florey Institute for Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,The CRC for Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Elizabeth Scarr
- The Florey Institute for Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,The CRC for Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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35
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Dean B, Hopper S, Conn PJ, Scarr E. Changes in BQCA Allosteric Modulation of [(3)H]NMS Binding to Human Cortex within Schizophrenia and by Divalent Cations. Neuropsychopharmacology 2016; 41:1620-8. [PMID: 26511338 PMCID: PMC4832025 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2015.330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2015] [Revised: 10/04/2015] [Accepted: 10/20/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Stimulation of the cortical muscarinic M1 receptor (CHRM1) is proposed as a treatment for schizophrenia, a hypothesis testable using CHRM1 allosteric modulators. Allosteric modulators have been shown to change the activity of CHRMs using cloned human CHRMs and CHRM knockout mice but not human CNS, a prerequisite for them working in humans. Here we show in vitro that BQCA, a positive allosteric CHRM1 modulator, brings about the expected change in affinity of the CHRM1 orthosteric site for acetylcholine in human cortex. Moreover, this effect of BQCA is reduced in the cortex of a subset of subjects with schizophrenia, separated into a discrete population because of a profound loss of cortical [(3)H]pirenzepine binding. Surprisingly, there was no change in [(3)H]NMS binding to the cortex from this subset or those with schizophrenia but without a marked loss of cortical CHRM1. Hence, we explored the nature of [(3)H]pirenzepine and [(3)H]NMS binding to human cortex and showed total [(3)H]pirenzepine and [(3)H]NMS binding was reduced by Zn(2+), acetylcholine displacement of [(3)H]NMS binding was enhanced by Mg(2+) and Zn(2+), acetylcholine displacement of [(3)H]pirenzepine was reduced by Mg(2+) and enhanced by Zn(2+), whereas BQCA effects on [(3)H]NMS, but not [(3)H]pirenzepine, binding was enhanced by Mg(2+) and Zn(2+). These data suggest the orthosteric and allosteric sites on CHRMs respond differently to divalent cations and the effects of allosteric modulation of the cortical CHRM1 is reduced in a subset of people with schizophrenia, a finding that may have ramifications for the use of CHRM1 allosteric modulators in the treatment of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Dean
- The Florey Institute for Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC, Australia,The CRC for Mental Health, Parkville, VIC, Australia,Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia,The Molecular Psychiatry Laboratory, The Florey Institute for Neuroscience and Mental Health, 30 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia, Tel: +61 3 8344 3786, Fax: +61 3 9348 1707, E-mail:
| | - Shaun Hopper
- The Florey Institute for Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC, Australia,The CRC for Mental Health, Parkville, VIC, Australia,Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - P Jeffrey Conn
- Vanderbilt Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Elizabeth Scarr
- The Florey Institute for Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC, Australia,The CRC for Mental Health, Parkville, VIC, Australia,Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
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McOmish CE, Pavey G, Gibbons A, Hopper S, Udawela M, Scarr E, Dean B. Lower [3H]LY341495 binding to mGlu2/3 receptors in the anterior cingulate of subjects with major depressive disorder but not bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. J Affect Disord 2016; 190:241-248. [PMID: 26521087 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2015.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2015] [Revised: 09/10/2015] [Accepted: 10/02/2015] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The glutamatergic system has recently been implicated in the pathogenesis and treatment of major depressive disorders(MDD) and mGlu2/3 receptors play an important role in regulating glutamatergic tone. We therefore measured cortical levels of mGlu2/3 to determine if they were changed in MDD. METHODS Binding parameters for [(3)H]LY341495 (mGlu2/3 antagonist) were determined to allow optimized in situ binding with autoradiography to be completed using a number of CNS regions. Subsequently, density of [(3)H]LY341495 binding was measured in BA24(anterior cingulate cortex), BA17(visual cortex) and BA46(dorsolateral prefrontal cortex) from subjects with MDD, Bipolar Disorder(BPD), Schizophrenia(SCZ), and controls, as well as rats treated with imipramine (20mg/kg), fluoxetine (10mg/kg), or vehicle. RESULTS mGlu2/3 are widely expressed throughout the brain with high levels observed in cortex. [(3)H]LY341495 binding was significantly lower in BA24 from subjects with MDD (mean ± SEM=141.3 ± 14.65 fmol/ETE) relative to controls (184.9 ± 7.76 fmol/ETE; Cohen's d=1.005, p<0.05). There were no other differences with diagnoses, and chronic antidepressant treatment in rats had minimal effect on binding. LIMITATIONS Using this approach we are unable to determine whether the change represents fluctuations in mGlu2, mGlu3, or both. Moreover, using postmortem tissue we are unable to dissociate the irrevocable confound of suicidality upon binding levels. CONCLUSION We have demonstrated lower [(3)H]LY341495 binding levels in MDD in BA24-a brain region implicated in depression. Moreover we show that the lower levels are unlikely to be the result of antidepressant treatment. These data suggest that levels of either mGlu2 and/or mGlu3 are affected in the aetiology of MDD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin E McOmish
- The Florey Institute for Neuroscience and Mental Health and the University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Geoff Pavey
- The Florey Institute for Neuroscience and Mental Health and the University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Andrew Gibbons
- The Florey Institute for Neuroscience and Mental Health and the University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Shaun Hopper
- The Florey Institute for Neuroscience and Mental Health and the University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Madhara Udawela
- The Florey Institute for Neuroscience and Mental Health and the University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Elizabeth Scarr
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Brian Dean
- The Florey Institute for Neuroscience and Mental Health and the University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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Potentiation of M1 Muscarinic Receptor Reverses Plasticity Deficits and Negative and Cognitive Symptoms in a Schizophrenia Mouse Model. Neuropsychopharmacology 2016; 41:598-610. [PMID: 26108886 PMCID: PMC5130135 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2015.189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2015] [Revised: 06/09/2015] [Accepted: 06/11/2015] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Schizophrenia patients exhibit deficits in signaling of the M1 subtype of muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAChR) in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and also display impaired cortical long-term depression (LTD). We report that selective activation of the M1 mAChR subtype induces LTD in PFC and that this response is completely lost after repeated administration of phencyclidine (PCP), a mouse model of schizophrenia. Furthermore, discovery of a novel, systemically active M1 positive allosteric modulator (PAM), VU0453595, allowed us to evaluate the impact of selective potentiation of M1 on induction of LTD and behavioral deficits in PCP-treated mice. Interestingly, VU0453595 fully restored impaired LTD as well as deficits in cognitive function and social interaction in these mice. These results provide critical new insights into synaptic changes that may contribute to behavioral deficits in this mouse model and support a role for selective M1 PAMs as a novel approach for the treatment of schizophrenia.
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38
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Dean B, Thomas N, Lai CY, Chen WJ, Scarr E. Changes in cholinergic and glutamatergic markers in the striatum from a sub-set of subjects with schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 2015; 169:83-88. [PMID: 26545297 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2015.10.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2015] [Revised: 10/16/2015] [Accepted: 10/20/2015] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES Having separated a sub-group of people with schizophrenia based on a marked loss of cortical [(3)H]pirenzepine binding (MRDS); we wished to determine if MRDS had lower levels of [(3)H]pirenzepine and other muscarinic receptor antagonist binding to the striatum and if this was due to loss of pre- or post-synaptic neurons or glia measured using surrogate markers (25 kilodalton synaptosomal-associated protein (SNAP 25), postsynaptic density protein 95 (PSD 95), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) 41/43) of cell number. METHODS [(3)H]pirenzepine, [(3)H]AF-DX 384 and [(3)H]4-DAMP binding to the striatum from 37 subjects with schizophrenia (19 MRDS) and 20 controls as well as SNAP 25, PSD 95 and GFAP 41/43 in crude particulate membrane were measured. RESULTS [(3)H]pirenzepine and [(3)H]AF-DX 384 binding to the striatum were significantly lower in schizophrenia due to lower binding of both radioligands in the striatum from MRDS. Levels of PSD 95 were higher in schizophrenia, predominantly due to higher levels in MRDS. CONCLUSIONS Our data suggest muscarinic M1 ([(3)H]pirenzepine) and M2 and/or M4 receptors ([(3)H]AF-DX 384) are lower in the striatum from MRDS which could mediate inappropriate adaption to internal and external cues which, in turn, would affect motivation, cognition and motor control. Increased levels of PSD 95 could indicate increased post-synaptic boutons or changes in NMDA receptor-mediated signalling in MRDS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Dean
- The Molecular Psychiatry Laboratories, The Florey Institute for Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Australia; The Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia.
| | - Natalie Thomas
- The Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia; The Molecular Psychiatry Laboratories, The Florey Institute for Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Australia
| | - Chi-Yu Lai
- The Molecular Psychiatry Laboratories, The Florey Institute for Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Australia; The Institute of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; Genetic Epidemiologic Core, Center of Genomic Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Wei J Chen
- The Institute of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; Genetic Epidemiologic Core, Center of Genomic Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Elizabeth Scarr
- The Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia; The Molecular Psychiatry Laboratories, The Florey Institute for Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Australia
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Gould RW, Dencker D, Grannan M, Bubser M, Zhan X, Wess J, Xiang Z, Locuson C, Lindsley CW, Conn PJ, Jones CK. Role for the M1 Muscarinic Acetylcholine Receptor in Top-Down Cognitive Processing Using a Touchscreen Visual Discrimination Task in Mice. ACS Chem Neurosci 2015; 6:1683-95. [PMID: 26176846 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.5b00123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The M1 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAChR) subtype has been implicated in the underlying mechanisms of learning and memory and represents an important potential pharmacotherapeutic target for the cognitive impairments observed in neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia. Patients with schizophrenia show impairments in top-down processing involving conflict between sensory-driven and goal-oriented processes that can be modeled in preclinical studies using touchscreen-based cognition tasks. The present studies used a touchscreen visual pairwise discrimination task in which mice discriminated between a less salient and a more salient stimulus to assess the influence of the M1 mAChR on top-down processing. M1 mAChR knockout (M1 KO) mice showed a slower rate of learning, evidenced by slower increases in accuracy over 12 consecutive days, and required more days to acquire (achieve 80% accuracy) this discrimination task compared to wild-type mice. In addition, the M1 positive allosteric modulator BQCA enhanced the rate of learning this discrimination in wild-type, but not in M1 KO, mice when BQCA was administered daily prior to testing over 12 consecutive days. Importantly, in discriminations between stimuli of equal salience, M1 KO mice did not show impaired acquisition and BQCA did not affect the rate of learning or acquisition in wild-type mice. These studies are the first to demonstrate performance deficits in M1 KO mice using touchscreen cognitive assessments and enhanced rate of learning and acquisition in wild-type mice through M1 mAChR potentiation when the touchscreen discrimination task involves top-down processing. Taken together, these findings provide further support for M1 potentiation as a potential treatment for the cognitive symptoms associated with schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - D. Dencker
- Laboratory
of Neuropsychiatry, Psychiatric Center Copenhagen, DK-2100 Copenhangen, Denmark
| | | | | | | | - J. Wess
- Laboratory
of Bioorganic Chemistry, NIDDK, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
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Dhas BB, Antony HA, Bhat V, Newton B, Parija SC. Global DNA methylation in neonatal sepsis. Indian J Pediatr 2015; 82:340-4. [PMID: 25348460 DOI: 10.1007/s12098-014-1574-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2014] [Accepted: 08/25/2014] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To find out whether gDNA methylation can be used as a diagnostic/prognostic method for neonatal sepsis. METHODS The study was conducted in the neonatal division of a tertiary care referral hospital. Fifty one newborns as cases and thirty seven newborns as controls were enrolled in the study. Using 5-mC DNA ELISA method, the percentage of genomic DNA methylated in these newborns was established. RESULTS Highly significant difference in percentage of gDNA methylated was found between the cases and controls (Cases: 2.4 ± 0.39; CONTROLS 2.07 ± 0.35; P < 0.0001). Culture proven and possible cases were also significantly distinguishable (P < 0.05). No significant differences in methylation were observed in terms of gestational age, birth weight and outcomes such shock, thrombocytopenia, except for renal failure. CONCLUSIONS The index results showed that genomic DNA methylation varies significantly among newborns with sepsis (clinical, probable and culture positive) and without sepsis. Although the global DNA methylation was not a highly sensitive diagnostic method, this study reveals that DNA methylation might play a vital role in neonatal sepsis susceptibility. Identification of the specific differentially methylated genes might serve as a promising future diagnostic/prognostic marker for neonatal sepsis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benet Bosco Dhas
- Department of Pediatrics, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER), Pondicherry, India
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41
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Silverman HA, Dancho M, Regnier-Golanov A, Nasim M, Ochani M, Olofsson PS, Ahmed M, Miller EJ, Chavan SS, Golanov E, Metz CN, Tracey KJ, Pavlov VA. Brain region-specific alterations in the gene expression of cytokines, immune cell markers and cholinergic system components during peripheral endotoxin-induced inflammation. Mol Med 2015; 20:601-11. [PMID: 25299421 DOI: 10.2119/molmed.2014.00147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2014] [Accepted: 10/01/2014] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Inflammatory conditions characterized by excessive peripheral immune responses are associated with diverse alterations in brain function, and brain-derived neural pathways regulate peripheral inflammation. Important aspects of this bidirectional peripheral immune-brain communication, including the impact of peripheral inflammation on brain region-specific cytokine responses, and brain cholinergic signaling (which plays a role in controlling peripheral cytokine levels), remain unclear. To provide insight, we studied gene expression of cytokines, immune cell markers and brain cholinergic system components in the cortex, cerebellum, brainstem, hippocampus, hypothalamus, striatum and thalamus in mice after an intraperitoneal lipopolysaccharide injection. Endotoxemia was accompanied by elevated serum levels of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6 and other cytokines and brain region-specific increases in Il1b (the highest increase, relative to basal level, was in cortex; the lowest increase was in cerebellum) and Il6 (highest increase in cerebellum; lowest increase in striatum) mRNA expression. Gene expression of brain Gfap (astrocyte marker) was also differentially increased. However, Iba1 (microglia marker) mRNA expression was decreased in the cortex, hippocampus and other brain regions in parallel with morphological changes, indicating microglia activation. Brain choline acetyltransferase (Chat ) mRNA expression was decreased in the striatum, acetylcholinesterase (Ache) mRNA expression was decreased in the cortex and increased in the hippocampus, and M1 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (Chrm1) mRNA expression was decreased in the cortex and the brainstem. These results reveal a previously unrecognized regional specificity in brain immunoregulatory and cholinergic system gene expression in the context of peripheral inflammation and are of interest for designing future antiinflammatory approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harold A Silverman
- Laboratory of Biomedical Science, Center for Biomedical Science, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Manhasset, New York, United States of America.,Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine at Hofstra University, Hempstead, New York, United States of America
| | - Meghan Dancho
- Laboratory of Biomedical Science, Center for Biomedical Science, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Manhasset, New York, United States of America
| | | | - Mansoor Nasim
- Neuropathology-Anatomic Pathology, North Shore-LIJ Health System, New Hyde Park, New York, United States of America
| | - Mahendar Ochani
- Laboratory of Biomedical Science, Center for Biomedical Science, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Manhasset, New York, United States of America
| | - Peder S Olofsson
- Laboratory of Biomedical Science, Center for Biomedical Science, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Manhasset, New York, United States of America
| | - Mohamed Ahmed
- Cohen Children's Medical Center, North Shore-LIJ Health System, New Hyde Park, New York, United States of America.,Center for Heart and Lung Research, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Manhasset, New York, United States of America
| | - Edmund J Miller
- Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine at Hofstra University, Hempstead, New York, United States of America.,Center for Heart and Lung Research, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Manhasset, New York, United States of America
| | - Sangeeta S Chavan
- Laboratory of Biomedical Science, Center for Biomedical Science, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Manhasset, New York, United States of America
| | - Eugene Golanov
- The Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Christine N Metz
- Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine at Hofstra University, Hempstead, New York, United States of America.,Laboratory of Medicinal Biochemistry, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Manhasset, New York, United States of America
| | - Kevin J Tracey
- Laboratory of Biomedical Science, Center for Biomedical Science, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Manhasset, New York, United States of America.,Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine at Hofstra University, Hempstead, New York, United States of America
| | - Valentin A Pavlov
- Laboratory of Biomedical Science, Center for Biomedical Science, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Manhasset, New York, United States of America.,Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine at Hofstra University, Hempstead, New York, United States of America
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Ristori E, Lopez-Ramirez MA, Narayanan A, Hill-Teran G, Moro A, Calvo CF, Thomas JL, Nicoli S. A Dicer-miR-107 Interaction Regulates Biogenesis of Specific miRNAs Crucial for Neurogenesis. Dev Cell 2015; 32:546-60. [PMID: 25662174 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2014.12.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2014] [Revised: 10/16/2014] [Accepted: 12/17/2014] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Dicer controls the biogenesis of microRNAs (miRNAs) and is essential for neurogenesis. Recent reports show that the levels and substrate selectivity of DICER result in the preferential biogenesis of specific miRNAs in vitro. However, how dicer expression levels and miRNA biogenesis are regulated in vivo and how this affects neurogenesis is incompletely understood. Here we show that during zebrafish hindbrain development dicer expression levels are controlled by miR-107 to tune the biogenesis of specific miRNAs, such as miR-9, whose levels regulate neurogenesis. Loss of miR-107 function stabilizes dicer levels and miR-9 biogenesis across the ventricular hindbrain zone, resulting in an increase of both proliferating progenitors and postmitotic neurons. miR-9 ectopic accumulation in differentiating neuronal cells recapitulated the excessive neurogenesis phenotype. We propose that miR-107 modulation of dicer levels in differentiating neuronal cells is required to maintain the homeostatic levels of specific miRNAs, whose precise accumulation is essential for neurogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Ristori
- Yale Cardiovascular Research Center, Internal Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | | | - Anand Narayanan
- Yale Cardiovascular Research Center, Internal Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Guillermina Hill-Teran
- Yale Cardiovascular Research Center, Internal Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Albertomaria Moro
- Yale Cardiovascular Research Center, Internal Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Charles-Félix Calvo
- University Pierre et Marie Curie-Paris 6, Centre de Recherche de l'Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Epiniere, UMR S975, Paris 75651, France; INSERM/CNRS U-1127/UMR-7225, Paris 75651, France; AP-HP, Groupe Hospitalier Pitié-Salpètrière, Paris 75651, France
| | - Jean-Léon Thomas
- Yale Cardiovascular Research Center, Internal Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA; University Pierre et Marie Curie-Paris 6, Centre de Recherche de l'Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Epiniere, UMR S975, Paris 75651, France; INSERM/CNRS U-1127/UMR-7225, Paris 75651, France; AP-HP, Groupe Hospitalier Pitié-Salpètrière, Paris 75651, France
| | - Stefania Nicoli
- Yale Cardiovascular Research Center, Internal Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA.
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Hommers LG, Domschke K, Deckert J. Heterogeneity and individuality: microRNAs in mental disorders. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2014; 122:79-97. [PMID: 25395183 DOI: 10.1007/s00702-014-1338-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2014] [Accepted: 11/07/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
MicroRNAs are about 22 nucleotide long single-stranded RNA molecules, negatively regulating gene expression of a single gene or a gene network. In neural tissues, they have been implicated in developmental and neuroplasticity-related processes, such as neurogenesis, differentiation, apoptosis and long-term potentiation. Their molecular mode of action is reminiscent of findings of genome-wide association studies in mental disorders, unable to attribute the risk of disease to a specific gene, but rather to multiple genes, gene-networks and gene-environment interaction. As such, microRNAs are an attractive target for research. Here, we review clinical studies conducted in humans on microRNAs in mental disorders with a particular focus on schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder and anxiety disorders. The majority of clinical studies have focused on schizophrenia. The most robust finding has been reported for rs1625579 located in MIR137HG, which was associated with schizophrenia on a genome-wide level. Concerning bipolar disorder, major depression and anxiety disorders, promising results have been published, but only a considerably smaller number of clinical studies is available and genome-wide association studies did not suggest a direct link to microRNAs so far. Expression of microRNAs as biomarkers of mental disorders and treatment response is currently emerging with preliminary results. Larger-scaled genetic and functional studies along with translational research are needed to enhance our understanding of microRNAs in mental disorders. These studies will aid in disentangling the complex genetic nature of these disorders and possibly contribute to the development of novel, individualized diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leif G Hommers
- Center of Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Würzburg, Füchsleinstrasse 15, 97080, Würzburg, Germany,
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Bosia M, Pigoni A, Cavallaro R. Genomics and epigenomics in novel schizophrenia drug discovery: translating animal models to clinical research and back. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2014; 10:125-39. [PMID: 25345474 DOI: 10.1517/17460441.2015.976552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Schizophrenia is a major psychiatric disorder that afflicts about 1% of the world's population, falling into the top 10 medical disorders causing disability. Existing therapeutic strategies have had limited success; they have poor effects on core cognitive impairment and long-term disability. They are also burdened by relevant side effects. Although new antipsychotic medications have been launched in the past decades, there has been a general lack of significant innovation over the past 60 years. This lack of significant progress in the pharmacotherapy of schizophrenia is a reflection of the complexity and heterogeneity of its etiopathogenetic mechanisms. AREAS COVERED In this article, the authors briefly review genetic models of schizophrenia, focusing on examples of how new therapeutic strategies have been developed from them. They report on the evidence of epigenetic alterations in schizophrenia and their relevance to pharmacological studies. Further, they describe the implications of epigenetic mechanisms in the etiopathogenesis of the disease and the effects of current antipsychotic drugs on epigenetic processes. Finally, they provide their perspective of using epigenetic drugs for treating schizophrenia. EXPERT OPINION Current genetic and epigenetic studies are finally shedding light on the biomolecular mechanisms linked to the core pathogenetic alterations in schizophrenia, rather than just their symptoms. These advancements in the understanding of the physiopathology of schizophrenia provide exciting new perspectives for treatments. Indeed, the possibility of looking directly at the biomolecular level allows us to bypass the age-old issues of animal studies pertaining to their questionable validity as behavioral models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Bosia
- IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Department of Clinical Neurosciences , Via Stamira d'Ancona 20, 20127 Milano , Italy +390 226 433 218 ; +390 226 433 265 ;
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45
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Seo MS, Scarr E, Dean B. An investigation of the factors that regulate muscarinic receptor expression in schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 2014; 158:247-54. [PMID: 25037527 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2014.06.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2013] [Revised: 05/16/2014] [Accepted: 06/14/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
We previously identified a group of subjects with schizophrenia who, on average, have a 75% decrease in cholinergic receptor, muscarinic 1 (CHRM1) in Brodmann's area (BA) 9. To extend this finding, we determined i) if the decrease in CHRM1 was present in another functionally related CNS region (BA6), ii) whether the marked decrease in CHRM1 was accompanied by changes in levels of other CHRMs and iii) potential factors responsible for the decreased CHRM1 expression. We measured CHRM1 and CHRM3 using in situ radioligand binding with [(3)H]pirenzepine and [(3)H]4-DAMP respectively in BA6 from 20 subjects with schizophrenia who had low levels of CHRM1 in BA9 (SzLow[(3)H]PZP), 18 subjects with schizophrenia whose levels of CHRM1 were similar to controls (SzNormal[(3)H]PZP) and 20 control subjects. Levels of CHRM1, 3 and 4 mRNA were measured using qPCR and levels of the transcription factors, SP1 and SP3, were determined using Western blots. In BA6, the density of [(3)H]pirenzepine binding was decreased in subjects with SzLow[(3)H]PZP (p<0.001) compared to controls. The density of [(3)H]4-DAMP binding, levels of CHRM1, 3 and 4 mRNA and levels of SP1 and SP3 was not significantly different between the three groups. This study shows that the previously identified decrease in CHRM1 expression is not confined to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex but is present in other cortical areas. The effect shows some specificity to CHRM1, with no change in levels of binding to CHRM3. Furthermore, this decrease in CHRM1 does not appear to be associated with low levels of CHRM1 mRNA or to simply be regulated by the transcription factors, SP1 and SP3, suggesting that other mechanisms are responsible for the decreased CHRM1 in these subjects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myoung Suk Seo
- The Molecular Psychiatry Laboratory, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia; Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia.
| | - Elizabeth Scarr
- The Molecular Psychiatry Laboratory, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia; Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Brian Dean
- The Molecular Psychiatry Laboratory, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia; Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
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Maffioletti E, Tardito D, Gennarelli M, Bocchio-Chiavetto L. Micro spies from the brain to the periphery: new clues from studies on microRNAs in neuropsychiatric disorders. Front Cell Neurosci 2014; 8:75. [PMID: 24653674 PMCID: PMC3949217 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2014.00075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2013] [Accepted: 02/21/2014] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
microRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs (20-22 nucleotides) playing a major role in post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression. miRNAs are predicted to regulate more than 50% of all the protein-coding genes. Increasing evidence indicates that they may play key roles in the biological pathways that regulate neurogenesis and synaptic plasticity, as well as in neurotransmitter homeostasis in the adult brain. In this article we review recent studies suggesting that miRNAs may be involved in the pathophysiology of neuropsychiatric disorders and in the action of psychotropic drugs, in particular by analyzing the contribution of genomic studies in patients' peripheral tissues. Alterations in miRNA expression have been observed in schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and other neuropsychiatric conditions. In particular, intriguing findings concern the identification of disease-associated miRNA signatures in peripheral tissues, or modifications in miRNA profiles induced by drug treatments. Furthermore, genetic variations in miRNA sequences and miRNA-related genes have been described in neuropsychiatric diseases. Overall, though still at a preliminary stage, several lines of evidence indicate an involvement of miRNAs in both the pathophysiology and pharmacotherapy of neuropsychiatric disorders. In this regard, the data obtained in peripheral tissues may provide further insights into the etiopathogenesis of several brain diseases and contribute to identify new biomarkers for diagnostic assessment improvement and treatment personalization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabetta Maffioletti
- Genetic Unit, IRCCS Centro S. Giovanni di Dio FatebenefratelliBrescia, Italy
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of BresciaBrescia, Italy
| | - Daniela Tardito
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università degli Studi di MilanoMilano, Italy
| | - Massimo Gennarelli
- Genetic Unit, IRCCS Centro S. Giovanni di Dio FatebenefratelliBrescia, Italy
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of BresciaBrescia, Italy
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Abstract
MicroRNAs exert their biologic effects by targeting specific mRNAs for degradation or translational inhibition. MicroRNA-mediated regulation is complex, potentially affecting expression of the host gene, related enzymes within the same pathway or apparently distinct targets. miR-107 is found to be implicated in the pathogenesis of some diseases. This review was performed to sum up the role of miR-107 and its signaling pathways in renal diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zong-Pei Jiang
- Department of Nephrology, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University , Guangzhou , China
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Aberg KA, McClay JL, Nerella S, Clark S, Kumar G, Chen W, Khachane AN, Xie L, Hudson A, Gao G, Harada A, Hultman CM, Sullivan PF, Magnusson PKE, van den Oord EJCG. Methylome-wide association study of schizophrenia: identifying blood biomarker signatures of environmental insults. JAMA Psychiatry 2014; 71:255-64. [PMID: 24402055 PMCID: PMC4331014 DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2013.3730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 190] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Epigenetic studies present unique opportunities to advance schizophrenia research because they can potentially account for many of its clinical features and suggest novel strategies to improve disease management. OBJECTIVE To identify schizophrenia DNA methylation biomarkers in blood. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS The sample consisted of 759 schizophrenia cases and 738 controls (N = 1497) collected in Sweden. We used methyl-CpG-binding domain protein-enriched genome sequencing of the methylated genomic fraction, followed by next-generation DNA sequencing. We obtained a mean (SD) number of 68 (26.8) million reads per sample. This massive data set was processed using a specifically designed data analysis pipeline. Critical top findings from our methylome-wide association study (MWAS) were replicated in independent case-control participants using targeted pyrosequencing of bisulfite-converted DNA. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Status of schizophrenia cases and controls. RESULTS Our MWAS suggested a considerable number of effects, with 25 sites passing the highly conservative Bonferroni correction and 139 sites significant at a false discovery rate of 0.01. Our top MWAS finding, which was located in FAM63B, replicated with P = 2.3 × 10-10. It was part of the networks regulated by microRNA that can be linked to neuronal differentiation and dopaminergic gene expression. Many other top MWAS results could be linked to hypoxia and, to a lesser extent, infection, suggesting that a record of pathogenic events may be preserved in the methylome. Our findings also implicated a site in RELN, one of the most frequently studied candidates in methylation studies of schizophrenia. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE To our knowledge, the present study is one of the first MWASs of disease with a large sample size using a technology that provides good coverage of methylation sites across the genome. Our results demonstrated one of the unique features of methylation studies that can capture signatures of environmental insults in peripheral tissues. Our MWAS suggested testable hypotheses about disease mechanisms and yielded biomarkers that can potentially be used to improve disease management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karolina A. Aberg
- Center for Biomarker Research and Personalized Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond
| | - Joseph L. McClay
- Center for Biomarker Research and Personalized Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond
| | - Srilaxmi Nerella
- Center for Biomarker Research and Personalized Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond
| | - Shaunna Clark
- Center for Biomarker Research and Personalized Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond
| | - Gaurav Kumar
- Center for Biomarker Research and Personalized Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond
| | - Wenan Chen
- Department of Biostatistics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond
| | - Amit N. Khachane
- Center for Biomarker Research and Personalized Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond
| | - Linying Xie
- Center for Biomarker Research and Personalized Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond
| | - Alexandra Hudson
- Center for Biomarker Research and Personalized Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond
| | - Guimin Gao
- Department of Biostatistics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond
| | - Aki Harada
- Center for Biomarker Research and Personalized Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond
| | - Christina M. Hultman
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Patrick F. Sullivan
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden4Departments of Genetics and Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | - Patrik K. E. Magnusson
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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Higa GSV, de Sousa E, Walter LT, Kinjo ER, Resende RR, Kihara AH. MicroRNAs in neuronal communication. Mol Neurobiol 2014; 49:1309-26. [PMID: 24385256 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-013-8603-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2013] [Accepted: 12/05/2013] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short nucleotides sequences that regulate the expression of genes in different eukaryotic cell types. A tremendous amount of knowledge on miRNAs has rapidly accumulated over the last few years, revealing the growing interest in this field of research. On the other hand, clarifying the physiological regulation of gene expression in the central nervous system is important for establishing a reference for comparison to the diseased state. It is well known that the fine tuning of neuronal networks relies on intricate molecular mechanisms, such as the adjustment of the synaptic transmission. As determined by recent studies, regulation of neuronal interactions by miRNAs has critical consequences in the development, adaptation to ambient demands, and degeneration of the nervous system. In contrast, activation of synaptic receptors triggers downstream signaling cascades that generate a vast array of effects, which includes the regulation of novel genes involved in the control of the miRNA life cycle. In this review, we have examined the hot topics on miRNA gene-regulatory activities in the broad field of neuronal communication-related processes. Furthermore, in addition to indicating the newly described effect of miRNAs on the regulation of specific neurotransmitter systems, we have pointed out how these systems affect the expression, transport, and stability of miRNAs. Moreover, we discuss newly described and under-investigation mechanisms involving the intercellular transfer of miRNAs, aided by exosomes and gap junctions. Thus, in the current review, we were able to highlight recent findings related to miRNAs that indisputably contributed towards the understanding of the nervous system in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guilherme Shigueto Vilar Higa
- Núcleo de Cognição e Sistemas Complexos, Centro de Matemática, Computação e Cognição, Universidade Federal do ABC, Av. Atlântica 420, 09060-000, Santo André, SP, Brazil
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Liu F, Wang S. Molecular cues for development and regeneration of salivary glands. Histol Histopathol 2013; 29:305-12. [PMID: 24189993 DOI: 10.14670/hh-29.305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The hypofunction of salivary glands caused by Sjögren's Syndrome or radiotherapy for head and neck cancer significantly compromises the quality of life of millions patients. Currently no curative treatment is available for the irreversible hyposalivation, whereas regenerative strategies targeting salivary stem/progenitor cells are promising. However, the success of these strategies is constrained by the lack of insights on the molecular cues of salivary gland regeneration. Recent advances in the molecular controls of salivary gland morphogenesis provided valuable clues for identifying potential regenerative cues. A complicated network of signaling molecules between epithelia, mesenchyme, endothelia, extracellular matrix and innervating nerves orchestrate the salivary gland organogenesis. Here we discuss the roles of several cross-talking intercellular signaling pathways, i.e., FGF, Wnt, Hedgehog, Eda, Notch, Chrm1/HB-EGF and Laminin/Integrin pathways, in the development of salivary glands and their potentials to promote salivary regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Liu
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine at Scott and White, Molecular and Cellular Medicine Department, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Temple, Texas, USA.
| | - Songlin Wang
- Salivary Gland Disease Center and Beijing Key Laboratory of Tooth Regeneration and Function Reconstruction, Capital Medical University School of Stomatology, Beijing, China.
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