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Liang J, Guan X, Sun Q, Hao Y, Xiu M. Neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio and cognitive performances in first-episode patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2024; 135:111092. [PMID: 39029649 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2024.111092] [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: 02/28/2024] [Revised: 06/20/2024] [Accepted: 07/16/2024] [Indexed: 07/21/2024]
Abstract
Abnormal immune and inflammatory responses are considered to contribute to schizophrenia (SZ). The neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is an inexpensive and reproducible marker of systemic inflammatory responses. Accumulating studies have demonstrated that NLR values are increased in SZ compared to healthy controls and closely related to clinical symptoms in antipsychotic-naïve first-episode SZ (ANFES) patients. However, to our knowledge, only one study has examined NLR in relation to neurocognition in 27 first-episode psychosis patients and 27 controls. This study aimed to examine the relationship of NLR values with cognitive performances in ANFES patients with a larger sample size. Whole blood cell counts were measured in ninety-seven ANFES patients and fifty-six control subjects. The neurocognitive functions of all subjects were measured by the repeatable battery for the assessment of neuropsychological status (RBANS). ANFES patients performed worse on cognition and had increased NLR values relative to healthy controls. In addition, increased NLR was negatively associated with cognitive functions in ANFES patients. Lymphocyte count was positively correlated with cognitive functions in patients. These findings suggest that the abnormal immune and inflammation system indicated by NLR may be involved in the cognitive functions in ANFES patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Liang
- Qingdao Mental Health Center, Qingdao, China
| | - Xiaoni Guan
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Beijing, China
| | | | - Yong Hao
- Department of Neurology, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Meihong Xiu
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Beijing, China.
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2
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Debs SR, Rothmond DA, Zhu Y, Weickert CS, Purves-Tyson TD. Molecular evidence of altered stress responsivity related to neuroinflammation in the schizophrenia midbrain. J Psychiatr Res 2024; 177:118-128. [PMID: 39004003 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2024.07.004] [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: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 06/12/2024] [Accepted: 07/02/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
Stress and inflammation are risk factors for schizophrenia. Chronic psychosocial stress is associated with subcortical hyperdopaminergia, a core feature of schizophrenia. Hyperdopaminergia arises from midbrain neurons, leading us to hypothesise that changes in stress response pathways may occur in this region. To identify whether transcriptional changes in glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid receptors (NR3C1/GR, NR3C2/MR) or other stress signalling molecules (FKBP4, FKBP5) exist in schizophrenia midbrain, we measured gene expression in the human brain (N = 56) using qRT-PCR. We assessed whether alterations in these mRNAs were related to previously identified high/low inflammatory status. We investigated relationships between stress-related transcripts themselves, and between FKBP5 mRNA, dopaminergic, and glial cell transcripts in diagnostic and inflammatory subgroups. Though unchanged by diagnosis, GR mRNA levels were reduced in high inflammatory compared to low inflammatory schizophrenia cases (p = 0.026). We found no effect of diagnosis or inflammation on MR mRNA. FKBP4 mRNA was decreased and FKBP5 mRNA was increased in schizophrenia (p < 0.05). FKBP5 changes occurred in high inflammatory (p < 0.001), whereas FKBP4 changes occurred in low inflammatory schizophrenia cases (p < 0.05). The decrease in mRNA encoding the main stress receptor (GR), as well as increased transcript levels of the stress-responsive negative regulator (FKBP5), may combine to blunt the midbrain response to stress in schizophrenia when neuroinflammation is present. Negative correlations between FKBP5 mRNA and dopaminergic transcripts in the low inflammatory subgroup suggest higher levels of FKBP5 mRNA may also attenuate dopaminergic neurotransmission in schizophrenia even when inflammation is absent. We report alterations in GR-mediated stress signalling in the midbrain in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie R Debs
- Preclinical Neuropsychiatry Laboratory, Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, New South Wales, 2031, Australia; Discipline of Psychiatry & Mental Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, 2052, Australia
| | - Debora A Rothmond
- Schizophrenia Research Laboratory, Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, New South Wales, 2031, Australia
| | - Yunting Zhu
- Department of Neuroscience & Physiology, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, 13210, USA
| | - Cynthia Shannon Weickert
- Schizophrenia Research Laboratory, Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, New South Wales, 2031, Australia; Discipline of Psychiatry & Mental Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, 2052, Australia; Department of Neuroscience & Physiology, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, 13210, USA
| | - Tertia D Purves-Tyson
- Preclinical Neuropsychiatry Laboratory, Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, New South Wales, 2031, Australia; Discipline of Psychiatry & Mental Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, 2052, Australia.
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Chandra J. The potential role of the p75 receptor in schizophrenia: neuroimmunomodulation and making life or death decisions. Brain Behav Immun Health 2024; 38:100796. [PMID: 38813083 PMCID: PMC11134531 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbih.2024.100796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 05/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024] Open
Abstract
The nerve growth factor receptor, also referred to as tumour necrosis factor II and the p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75), serves pleiotropic functions in both the peripheral and central nervous system, involving modulation of immune responses, cell survival and cell death signalling in response to multiple ligands including cytokines such as TNFα, as well as proneurotrophins and mature neurotrophins. Whilst in vitro and in vivo studies have characterised various responses of the p75 receptor in isolated conditions, it remains unclear whether the p75 receptor serves to provide neuroprotection or contributes to neurotoxicity in neuroinflammatory and neurotrophin-deficit conditions, such as those presenting in schizophrenia. The purpose of this mini-review is to characterise the potential signalling mechanisms of the p75 receptor respective to neuropathological changes prevailing in schizophrenia to ultimately propose how specific functions of the receptor may underlie altered levels of p75 in specific cell types. On the basis of this evaluation, this mini-review aims to promote avenues for future research in utilising the therapeutic potential of ligands for the p75 receptor in psychiatric disorders, whereby heightened inflammation and reductions in trophic signalling mechanisms coalesce in the brain, potentially resulting in tissue damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Chandra
- Neuroscience Research Australia, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
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North HF, Weissleder C, Bitar M, Barry G, Fullerton JM, Webster MJ, Weickert CS. RNA-sequencing suggests extracellular matrix and vasculature dysregulation could impair neurogenesis in schizophrenia cases with elevated inflammation. SCHIZOPHRENIA (HEIDELBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 10:50. [PMID: 38704390 PMCID: PMC11069512 DOI: 10.1038/s41537-024-00466-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024]
Abstract
A subgroup of schizophrenia cases with elevated inflammation have reduced neurogenesis markers and increased macrophage density in the human subependymal zone (SEZ; also termed subventricular zone or SVZ) neurogenic niche. Inflammation can impair neurogenesis; however, it is unclear which other pathways are associated with reduced neurogenesis. This research aimed to discover transcriptomic differences between inflammatory subgroups of schizophrenia in the SEZ. Total RNA sequencing was performed on SEZ tissue from schizophrenia cases, designated into low inflammation (n = 13) and high inflammation (n = 14) subgroups, based on cluster analysis of inflammation marker gene expression. 718 genes were differentially expressed in high compared to low inflammation schizophrenia (FDR p < 0.05) and were most significantly over-represented in the pathway 'Hepatic Fibrosis/Hepatic Stellate-Cell Activation'. Genes in this pathway relate to extracellular matrix stability (including ten collagens) and vascular remodelling suggesting increased angiogenesis. Collagen-IV, a key element of the basement membrane and fractones, had elevated gene expression. Immunohistochemistry revealed novel collagen-IV+ fractone bulbs within the human SEZ hypocellular gap. Considering the extracellular matrix's regulatory role in SEZ neurogenesis, fibrosis-related alterations in high inflammation schizophrenia may disrupt neurogenesis. Increased angiogenesis could facilitate immune cell transmigration, potentially explaining elevated macrophages in high inflammation schizophrenia. This discovery-driven analysis sheds light on how inflammation may contribute to schizophrenia neuropathology in the neurogenic niche.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hayley F North
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Christin Weissleder
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Mechanism and therapy for genetic brain diseases, Institut Imagine, Paris, France
| | | | - Guy Barry
- OncoLife Therapeutics, Yeronga, QLD, Australia
| | - Janice M Fullerton
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Maree J Webster
- Laboratory of Brain Research, Stanley Medical Research Institute, 9800, Medical Center Drive, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Cynthia Shannon Weickert
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
- Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA.
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Polakkattil BK, Vellichirammal NN, Nair IV, Nair CM, Banerjee M. Methylome-wide and meQTL analysis helps to distinguish treatment response from non-response and pathogenesis markers in schizophrenia. Front Psychiatry 2024; 15:1297760. [PMID: 38516266 PMCID: PMC10954811 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1297760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a complex condition with entwined genetic and epigenetic risk factors, posing a challenge to disentangle the intermixed pathological and therapeutic epigenetic signatures. To resolve this, we performed 850K methylome-wide and 700K genome-wide studies on the same set of schizophrenia patients by stratifying them into responders, non-responders, and drug-naïve patients. The key genes that signified the response were followed up using real-time gene expression studies to understand the effect of antipsychotics at the gene transcription level. The study primarily implicates hypermethylation in therapeutic response and hypomethylation in the drug-non-responsive state. Several differentially methylated sites and regions colocalized with the schizophrenia genome-wide association study (GWAS) risk genes and variants, supporting the convoluted gene-environment association. Gene ontology and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analyses revealed distinct patterns that differentiated the treatment response from drug resistance. The study highlights the strong involvement of several processes related to nervous system development, cell adhesion, and signaling in the antipsychotic response. The ability of antipsychotic medications to alter the pathology by modulating gene expression or methylation patterns is evident from the general increase in the gene expression of response markers and histone modifiers and the decrease in class II human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genes following treatment with varying concentrations of medications like clozapine, olanzapine, risperidone, and haloperidol. The study indicates a directional overlap of methylation markers between pathogenesis and therapeutic response, thereby suggesting a careful distinction of methylation markers of pathogenesis from treatment response. In addition, there is a need to understand the trade-off between genetic and epigenetic observations. It is suggested that methylomic changes brought about by drugs need careful evaluation for their positive effects on pathogenesis, course of disease progression, symptom severity, side effects, and refractoriness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Binithamol K. Polakkattil
- Human Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
- Research Center, University of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
| | - Neetha N. Vellichirammal
- Human Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
| | - Indu V. Nair
- Mental Health Centre, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
| | | | - Moinak Banerjee
- Human Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
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Gillespie B, Houghton MJ, Ganio K, McDevitt CA, Bennett D, Dunn A, Raju S, Schroeder A, Hill RA, Cardoso BR. Maternal selenium dietary supplementation alters sociability and reinforcement learning deficits induced by in utero exposure to maternal immune activation in mice. Brain Behav Immun 2024; 116:349-361. [PMID: 38142918 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2023.12.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Revised: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Maternal immune activation (MIA) during pregnancy increases the risk for the unborn foetus to develop neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia later in life. MIA mouse models recapitulate behavioural and biological phenotypes relevant to both conditions, and are valuable models to test novel treatment approaches. Selenium (Se) has potent anti-inflammatory properties suggesting it may be an effective prophylactic treatment against MIA. The aim of this study was to determine if Se supplementation during pregnancy can prevent adverse effects of MIA on offspring brain and behaviour in a mouse model. Selenium was administered via drinking water (1.5 ppm) to pregnant dams from gestational day (GD) 9 to birth, and MIA was induced at GD17 using polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (poly-I:C, 20 mg/kg via intraperitoneal injection). Foetal placenta and brain cytokine levels were assessed using a Luminex assay and brain elemental nutrients assessed using inductively coupled plasma- mass spectrometry. Adult offspring were behaviourally assessed using a reinforcement learning paradigm, the three-chamber sociability test and the open field test. MIA elevated placental IL-1β and IL-17, and Se supplementation successfully prevented this elevation. MIA caused an increase in foetal brain calcium, which was prevented by Se supplement. MIA caused in offspring a female-specific reduction in sociability, which was recovered by Se, and a male-specific reduction in social memory, which was not recovered by Se. Exposure to poly-I:C or selenium, but not both, reduced performance in the reinforcement learning task. Computational modelling indicated that this was predominantly due to increased exploratory behaviour, rather than reduced rate of learning the location of the food reward. This study demonstrates that while Se may be beneficial in ameliorating sociability deficits caused by MIA, it may have negative effects in other behavioural domains. Caution in the use of Se supplementation during pregnancy is therefore warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brendan Gillespie
- Department of Psychiatry, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3168, Australia
| | - Michael J Houghton
- Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food, Monash University, Notting Hill, VIC 3168, Australia; Victorian Heart Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3168, Australia
| | - Katherine Ganio
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - Christopher A McDevitt
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - Daniel Bennett
- Department of Psychiatry, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3168, Australia
| | - Ariel Dunn
- Department of Psychiatry, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3168, Australia
| | - Sharvada Raju
- Department of Psychiatry, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3168, Australia
| | - Anna Schroeder
- Department of Psychiatry, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3168, Australia.
| | - Rachel A Hill
- Department of Psychiatry, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3168, Australia.
| | - Barbara R Cardoso
- Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food, Monash University, Notting Hill, VIC 3168, Australia.
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Stanca S, Rossetti M, Bokulic Panichi L, Bongioanni P. The Cellular Dysfunction of the Brain-Blood Barrier from Endothelial Cells to Astrocytes: The Pathway towards Neurotransmitter Impairment in Schizophrenia. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:1250. [PMID: 38279249 PMCID: PMC10816922 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25021250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2023] [Revised: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 01/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia (SCZ) is an articulated psychiatric syndrome characterized by a combination of genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors. Our intention is to present a pathogenetic model combining SCZ alterations and the main cellular actors of the blood-brain barrier (BBB): endothelial cells (ECs), pericytes, and astrocytes. The homeostasis of the BBB is preserved by the neurovascular unit which is constituted by ECs, astrocytes and microglia, neurons, and the extracellular matrix. The role of the BBB is strictly linked to its ability to preserve the biochemical integrity of brain parenchyma integrity. In SCZ, there is an increased BBB permeability, demonstrated by elevated levels of albumin and immunoglobulins in the cerebrospinal fluid, and this is the result of an intrinsic endothelial impairment. Increased BBB permeability would lead to enhanced concentrations of neurotoxic and neuroactive molecules in the brain. The pathogenetic involvement of astrocytes in SCZ reverberates its consequences on BBB, together with the impact on its permeability and selectivity represented by the EC and pericyte damage occurring in the psychotic picture. Understanding the strict interaction between ECs and astrocytes, and its consequent impact on cognition, is diriment not only for comprehension of neurotransmitter dyshomeostasis in SCZ, but also for focusing on other potential therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Stanca
- Department of Surgical, Medical, Molecular Pathology and Critical Area, University of Pisa, Via Savi 10, 56126 Pisa, Italy
- NeuroCare Onlus, 56100 Pisa, Italy
| | - Martina Rossetti
- Department of Surgical, Medical, Molecular Pathology and Critical Area, University of Pisa, Via Savi 10, 56126 Pisa, Italy
- NeuroCare Onlus, 56100 Pisa, Italy
| | - Leona Bokulic Panichi
- NeuroCare Onlus, 56100 Pisa, Italy
- Neuroscience Department, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Pisana, 56100 Pisa, Italy
| | - Paolo Bongioanni
- NeuroCare Onlus, 56100 Pisa, Italy
- Neuroscience Department, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Pisana, 56100 Pisa, Italy
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Sager REH, Walker AK, Middleton FA, Robinson K, Webster MJ, Gentile K, Wong ML, Shannon Weickert C. Changes in cytokine and cytokine receptor levels during postnatal development of the human dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Brain Behav Immun 2023; 111:186-201. [PMID: 36958512 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2023.03.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/25/2023] Open
Abstract
In addition to their traditional roles in immune cell communication, cytokines regulate brain development. Cytokines are known to influence neural cell generation, differentiation, maturation, and survival. However, most work on the role of cytokines in brain development investigates rodents or focuses on prenatal events. Here, we investigate how mRNA and protein levels of key cytokines and cytokine receptors change during postnatal development of the human prefrontal cortex. We find that most cytokine transcripts investigated (IL1B, IL18, IL6, TNF, IL13) are lowest at birth and increase between 1.5 and 5 years old. After 5 years old, transcriptional patterns proceeded in one of two directions: decreased expression in teens and young adults (IL1B, p = 0.002; and IL18, p = 0.004) or increased mean expression with maturation, particularly in teenagers (IL6, p = 0.004; TNF, p = 0.002; IL13, p < 0.001). In contrast, cytokine proteins tended to remain elevated after peaking significantly around 3 years of age (IL1B, p = 0.012; IL18, p = 0.026; IL6, p = 0.039; TNF, p < 0.001), with TNF protein being highest in teenagers. An mRNA-only analysis of cytokine receptor transcripts found that early developmental increases in cytokines were paralleled by increases in their ligand-binding receptor subunits, such as IL1R1 (p = 0.033) and IL6R (p < 0.001) transcripts. In contrast, cytokine receptor-associated signaling subunits, IL1RAP and IL6ST, did not change significantly between age groups. Of the two TNF receptors, the 'pro-death' TNFRSF1A and 'pro-survival' TNFRSF1B, only TNFRSF1B was significantly changed (p = 0.028), increasing first in toddlers and again in young adults. Finally, the cytokine inhibitor, IL13, was elevated first in toddlers (p = 0.006) and again in young adults (p = 0.053). While the mean expression of interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL1RN) was highest in toddlers, this increase was not statistically significant. The fluctuations in cytokine expression reported here support a role for increases in specific cytokines at two different stages of human cortical development. The first is during the toddler/preschool period (IL1B, IL18, and IL13), and the other occurs at adolescence/young adult maturation (IL6, TNF and IL13).
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel E H Sager
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA
| | - Adam K Walker
- Laboratory of Immunopsychiatry, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, Monash University, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Frank A Middleton
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA
| | - Kate Robinson
- Schizophrenia Research Laboratory, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | | | - Karen Gentile
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA
| | - Ma-Li Wong
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA
| | - Cynthia Shannon Weickert
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA; Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Schizophrenia Research Laboratory, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
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Baroreflex sensitivity is associated with markers of hippocampal gliosis and dysmyelination in patients with psychosis. Clin Auton Res 2023; 33:101-110. [PMID: 36877302 DOI: 10.1007/s10286-023-00929-x] [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: 10/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/07/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Hippocampal dysfunction plays a key role in the pathology of psychosis. Given hippocampal sensitivity to changes in cerebral perfusion, decreased baroreflex function could contribute to psychosis pathogenesis. This study had two aims: (1) To compare baroreflex sensitivity in participants with psychosis to two control groups: participants with a nonpsychotic affective disorder and participants with no history of psychiatric disease; (2) to examine the relationship between hippocampal neurometabolites and baroreflex sensitivities in these three groups. We hypothesized that baroreflex sensitivity would be reduced and correlated with hippocampal neurometabolite levels in participants with psychosis, but not in the control groups. METHODS We assessed baroreflex sensitivity during the Valsalva maneuver separated into vagal and adrenergic components. Metabolite concentrations for cellular processes were quantitated in the entire multivoxel hippocampus using H1-MR spectroscopic (MRS) imaging and were compared with baroreflex sensitivities in the three groups. RESULTS Vagal baroreflex sensitivity (BRS-V) was reduced in a significantly larger proportion of participants with psychosis compared with patients with nonpsychotic affective disorders, whereas participants with psychosis had increased adrenergic baroreflex sensitivity (BRS-A) compared with participants with no history of psychiatric disease. Only in psychotic cases were baroreflex sensitivities associated with hippocampal metabolite concentrations. Specifically, BRS-V was inversely correlated with myo-inositol, a marker of gliosis, and BRS-A was positively correlated with energy dependent dysmyelination (choline, creatine) and excitatory activity (GLX). CONCLUSIONS Abnormal baroreflex sensitivity is common in participants with psychosis and is associated with MRS markers of hippocampal pathology. Future longitudinal studies are needed to examine causality.
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Collins MA, Ji JL, Chung Y, Lympus CA, Afriyie-Agyemang Y, Addington JM, Goodyear BG, Bearden CE, Cadenhead KS, Mirzakhanian H, Tsuang MT, Cornblatt BA, Carrión RE, Keshavan M, Stone WS, Mathalon DH, Perkins DO, Walker EF, Woods SW, Powers AR, Anticevic A, Cannon TD. Accelerated cortical thinning precedes and predicts conversion to psychosis: The NAPLS3 longitudinal study of youth at clinical high-risk. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:1182-1189. [PMID: 36434057 PMCID: PMC10005940 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01870-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Revised: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Progressive grey matter loss has been demonstrated among clinical high-risk (CHR) individuals who convert to psychosis, but it is unknown whether these changes occur prior to psychosis onset. Identifying illness-related neurobiological mechanisms that occur prior to conversion is essential for targeted early intervention. Among participants in the third wave of the North American Prodrome Longitudinal Study (NAPLS3), this report investigated if steeper cortical thinning was observable prior to psychosis onset among CHR individuals who ultimately converted (CHR-C) and assessed the shortest possible time interval in which rates of cortical thinning differ between CHR-C, CHR non-converters (CHR-NC), and health controls (HC). 338 CHR-NC, 42 CHR-C, and 62 HC participants (age 19.3±4.2, 44.8% female, 52.5% racial/ethnic minority) completed up to 5 MRI scans across 8 months. Accelerated thinning among CHR-C compared to CHR-NC and HC was observed in multiple prefrontal, temporal, and parietal cortical regions. CHR-NC also exhibited accelerated cortical thinning compared to HC in several of these areas. Greater percent decrease in cortical thickness was observed among CHR-C compared to other groups across 2.9±1.8 months, on average, in several cortical areas. ROC analyses discriminating CHR-C from CHR-NC by percent thickness change in a left hemisphere region of interest, scanner, age, age2, and sex had an AUC of 0.74, with model predictive power driven primarily by percent thickness change. Findings indicate that accelerated cortical thinning precedes psychosis onset and differentiates CHR-C from CHR-NC and HC across short time intervals. Mechanisms underlying cortical thinning may provide novel treatment targets prior to psychosis onset.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jie Lisa Ji
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Yoonho Chung
- Department of Psychiatry, McLean Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Belmont, MA, USA
- Institute for Technology in Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
| | - Cole A Lympus
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | | | - Jean M Addington
- Department of Psychiatry, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Bradley G Goodyear
- Department of Radiology, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Carrie E Bearden
- Departments of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences and Psychology, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Ming T Tsuang
- Department of Psychiatry, UCSD, San Diego, CA, USA
- Institute of Genomic Medicine, UCSD, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | | | - Ricardo E Carrión
- Division of Psychiatry Research, The Zucker Hillside Hospital, Glen Oaks, NY, USA
- Institute of Behavioral Science, The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Manhasset, NY, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, The Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Hempstead, NY, USA
| | - Matcheri Keshavan
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Wiliam S Stone
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Daniel H Mathalon
- Department of Psychiatry, UCSF, and SFVA Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Diana O Perkins
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Elaine F Walker
- Departments of Psychology and Psychiatry, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Scott W Woods
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Albert R Powers
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Alan Anticevic
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Tyrone D Cannon
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
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11
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Webster MJ. Infections, Inflammation, and Psychiatric Illness: Review of Postmortem Evidence. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2023; 61:35-48. [PMID: 35505055 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2022_362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
While there is an abundance of epidemiological evidence implicating infectious agents in the etiology of severe mental illnesses, postmortem studies have not yet detected an increased incidence of microbial nucleic acid or proteins in the brains of people with mental illness. Nevertheless, abnormally expressed immune and inflammatory markers have consistently been found in the postmortem brain of patients with schizophrenia and mood disorders. Some of these abnormalities may be the result of an infection in utero or early in life that not only impacted the developing immune system but also the developing neurons of the brain. Some of the immune markers that are consistently found to be upregulated in schizophrenia implicate a possible viral infection and the blood brain barrier in the etiology and neuropathology of the disorder.
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12
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Vakilzadeh G, Martinez-Cerdeño V. Pathology and Astrocytes in Autism. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat 2023; 19:841-850. [PMID: 37077706 PMCID: PMC10106330 DOI: 10.2147/ndt.s390053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/21/2023] Open
Abstract
A distinct pathology for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) remains elusive. Human and animal studies have focused on investigating the role of neurons in ASD. However, recent studies have hinted that glial cell pathology could be a characteristic of ASD. Astrocytes are the most abundant glial cell in the brain and play an important role in neuronal function, both during development and in adult. They regulate neuronal migration, dendritic and spine development, and control the concentration of neurotransmitters at the synaptic cleft. They are also responsible for synaptogenesis, synaptic development, and synaptic function. Therefore, any change in astrocyte number and/or function could contribute to the impairment of connectivity that has been reported in ASD. Data available to date is scarce but indicates that while the number of astrocytes is reduced, their state of activation and their GFAP expression is increased in ASD. Disruption of astrocyte function in ASD may affect proper neurotransmitter metabolism, synaptogenesis, and the state of brain inflammation. Astrocytes alterations are common to ASD and other neurodevelopmental disorders. Future studies about the role of astrocytes in ASD are required to better understand this disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gelareh Vakilzadeh
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UC Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, USA
- Institute for Pediatric Regenerative Medicine, and Shriners Hospitals for Children, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Veronica Martinez-Cerdeño
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UC Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, USA
- Institute for Pediatric Regenerative Medicine, and Shriners Hospitals for Children, Sacramento, CA, USA
- MIND Institute, UC Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, USA
- Correspondence: Veronica Martinez-Cerdeño, 2425 Stockton Boulevard, Sacramento, CA, 95817, USA, Tel +916 453-2163, Email
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13
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Hagihara H, Shoji H, Kuroiwa M, Graef IA, Crabtree GR, Nishi A, Miyakawa T. Forebrain-specific conditional calcineurin deficiency induces dentate gyrus immaturity and hyper-dopaminergic signaling in mice. Mol Brain 2022; 15:94. [PMID: 36414974 PMCID: PMC9682671 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-022-00981-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Calcineurin (Cn), a phosphatase important for synaptic plasticity and neuronal development, has been implicated in the etiology and pathophysiology of neuropsychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia, intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorders, epilepsy, and Alzheimer's disease. Forebrain-specific conditional Cn knockout mice have been known to exhibit multiple behavioral phenotypes related to these disorders. In this study, we investigated whether Cn mutant mice show pseudo-immaturity of the dentate gyrus (iDG) in the hippocampus, which we have proposed as an endophenotype shared by these disorders. Expression of calbindin and GluA1, typical markers for mature DG granule cells (GCs), was decreased and that of doublecortin, calretinin, phospho-CREB, and dopamine D1 receptor (Drd1), markers for immature GC, was increased in Cn mutants. Phosphorylation of cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) substrates (GluA1, ERK2, DARPP-32, PDE4) was increased and showed higher sensitivity to SKF81297, a Drd1-like agonist, in Cn mutants than in controls. While cAMP/PKA signaling is increased in the iDG of Cn mutants, chronic treatment with rolipram, a selective PDE4 inhibitor that increases intracellular cAMP, ameliorated the iDG phenotype significantly and nesting behavior deficits with nominal significance. Chronic rolipram administration also decreased the phosphorylation of CREB, but not the other four PKA substrates examined, in Cn mutants. These results suggest that Cn deficiency induces pseudo-immaturity of GCs and that cAMP signaling increases to compensate for this maturation abnormality. This study further supports the idea that iDG is an endophenotype shared by certain neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hideo Hagihara
- Division of Systems Medical Science, Center for Medical Science, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Aichi 470-1192 Japan
| | - Hirotaka Shoji
- Division of Systems Medical Science, Center for Medical Science, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Aichi 470-1192 Japan
| | - Mahomi Kuroiwa
- Department of Pharmacology, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Fukuoka 830-0011 Japan
| | - Isabella A. Graef
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305 USA
| | - Gerald R. Crabtree
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305 USA
| | - Akinori Nishi
- Department of Pharmacology, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Fukuoka 830-0011 Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Miyakawa
- Division of Systems Medical Science, Center for Medical Science, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Aichi 470-1192 Japan
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14
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Zhang X, Wolfinger A, Wu X, Alnafisah R, Imami A, Hamoud AR, Lundh A, Parpura V, McCullumsmith RE, Shukla R, O’Donovan SM. Gene Enrichment Analysis of Astrocyte Subtypes in Psychiatric Disorders and Psychotropic Medication Datasets. Cells 2022; 11:3315. [PMID: 36291180 PMCID: PMC9600295 DOI: 10.3390/cells11203315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Revised: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Astrocytes have many important functions in the brain, but their roles in psychiatric disorders and their responses to psychotropic medications are still being elucidated. Here, we used gene enrichment analysis to assess the relationships between different astrocyte subtypes, psychiatric diseases, and psychotropic medications (antipsychotics, antidepressants and mood stabilizers). We also carried out qPCR analyses and "look-up" studies to assess the chronic effects of these drugs on astrocyte marker gene expression. Our bioinformatic analysis identified gene enrichment of different astrocyte subtypes in psychiatric disorders. The highest level of enrichment was found in schizophrenia, supporting a role for astrocytes in this disorder. We also found differential enrichment of astrocyte subtypes associated with specific biological processes, highlighting the complex responses of astrocytes under pathological conditions. Enrichment of protein phosphorylation in astrocytes and disease was confirmed by biochemical analysis. Analysis of LINCS chemical perturbagen gene signatures also found that kinase inhibitors were highly discordant with astrocyte-SCZ associated gene signatures. However, we found that common gene enrichment of different psychotropic medications and astrocyte subtypes was limited. These results were confirmed by "look-up" studies and qPCR analysis, which also reported little effect of psychotropic medications on common astrocyte marker gene expression, suggesting that astrocytes are not a primary target of these medications. Conversely, antipsychotic medication does affect astrocyte gene marker expression in postmortem schizophrenia brain tissue, supporting specific astrocyte responses in different pathological conditions. Overall, this study provides a unique view of astrocyte subtypes and the effect of medications on astrocytes in disease, which will contribute to our understanding of their role in psychiatric disorders and offers insights into targeting astrocytes therapeutically.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolu Zhang
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43614, USA
| | - Alyssa Wolfinger
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43614, USA
| | - Xiaojun Wu
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43614, USA
| | - Rawan Alnafisah
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43614, USA
| | - Ali Imami
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43614, USA
| | - Abdul-rizaq Hamoud
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43614, USA
| | - Anna Lundh
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43614, USA
| | - Vladimir Parpura
- Department of Neurobiology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Robert E. McCullumsmith
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43614, USA
- Promedica Neurosciences Institute, Toledo, OH 43606, USA
| | - Rammohan Shukla
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43614, USA
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15
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Zhu Y, Owens SJ, Murphy CE, Ajulu K, Rothmond D, Purves-Tyson T, Middleton F, Webster MJ, Weickert CS. Inflammation-related transcripts define "high" and "low" subgroups of individuals with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder in the midbrain. Brain Behav Immun 2022; 105:149-159. [PMID: 35764269 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2022.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Revised: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Dopamine dysregulation in schizophrenia may be associated with midbrain inflammation. Previously, we found elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokine mRNAs in the post-mortem midbrain of people with schizophrenia (46%) but not from unaffected controls (0%) using a brain cohort from Sydney, Australia. Here, we measured cytokine mRNAs and proteins in the midbrain in the Stanley Medical Research Institute (SMRI) array cohort (N = 105). We tested if the proportions of individuals with schizophrenia and with high inflammation can be replicated, and if individuals with bipolar disorder with elevated midbrain cytokines can be identified. mRNA levels of 7 immune transcripts from post-mortem midbrain tissue were measured via RT-PCR and two-step recursive clustering analysis was performed using 4 immune transcripts to define "high and low" inflammatory subgroups. The clustering predictors used were identical to our earlier midbrain study, and included: IL1B, IL6, TNF, and SERPINA3 mRNA levels. 46% of schizophrenia cases (16/35 SCZ), 6% of controls (2/33 CTRL), and 29% of bipolar disorder cases (10/35 BPD) were identified as belonging to the high inflammation (HI) subgroups [χ2 (2) = 13.54, p < 0.001]. When comparing inflammatory subgroups, all four mRNAs were significantly increased in SCZ-HI and BPD-HI compared to low inflammation controls (CTRL-LI) (p < 0.05). Additionally, protein levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-18 were elevated in SCZ-HI and BPD-HI compared to all other low inflammatory subgroups (all p < 0.05). Surprisingly, TNF-α protein levels were unchanged according to subgroups. In conclusion, we determined that almost half of the individuals with schizophrenia were defined as having high inflammation in the midbrain, replicating our previous findings. Further, we detected close to one-third of those with bipolar disorder to be classified as having high inflammation. Elevations in some pro-inflammatory cytokine mRNAs (IL-1β and IL-6) were also found at the protein level, whereas TNF mRNA and protein levels were not concordant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunting Zhu
- Department of Neuroscience & Physiology, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA
| | - Samantha J Owens
- Schizophrenia Research Laboratory, Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, NSW 2031, Australia
| | - Caitlin E Murphy
- Schizophrenia Research Laboratory, Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, NSW 2031, Australia
| | - Kachikwulu Ajulu
- Department of Neuroscience & Physiology, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA
| | - Debora Rothmond
- Schizophrenia Research Laboratory, Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, NSW 2031, Australia
| | - Tertia Purves-Tyson
- Schizophrenia Research Laboratory, Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, NSW 2031, Australia
| | - Frank Middleton
- Department of Neuroscience & Physiology, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA
| | - Maree J Webster
- Laboratory of Brain Research, Stanley Medical Research Institute, 9800 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Cynthia Shannon Weickert
- Department of Neuroscience & Physiology, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA; Schizophrenia Research Laboratory, Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, NSW 2031, Australia; School of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
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16
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North HF, Weissleder C, Fullerton JM, Webster MJ, Weickert CS. Increased immune cell and altered microglia and neurogenesis transcripts in an Australian schizophrenia subgroup with elevated inflammation. Schizophr Res 2022; 248:208-218. [PMID: 36108465 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2022.08.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Revised: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
We previously identified a subgroup of schizophrenia cases (~40 %) with heightened inflammation in the neurogenic subependymal zone (SEZ) (North et al., 2021b). This schizophrenia subgroup had changes indicating reduced microglial activity, increased peripheral immune cells, increased stem cell dormancy/quiescence and reduced neuronal precursor cells. The present follow-up study aimed to replicate and extend those novel findings in an independent post-mortem cohort of schizophrenia cases and controls from Australia. RNA was extracted from SEZ tissue from 20 controls and 22 schizophrenia cases from the New South Wales Brain Tissue Resource Centre, and gene expression analysis was performed. Cluster analysis of inflammation markers (IL1B, IL1R1, SERPINA3 and CXCL8) revealed a high-inflammation schizophrenia subgroup comprising 52 % of cases, which was a significantly greater proportion than the 17 % of high-inflammation controls. Consistent with our previous report (North et al., 2021b), those with high-inflammation and schizophrenia had unchanged mRNA expression of markers for steady-state and activated microglia (IBA1, HEXB, CD68), decreased expression of phagocytic microglia markers (P2RY12, P2RY13), but increased expression of markers for macrophages (CD163), monocytes (CD14), natural killer cells (FCGR3A), and the adhesion molecule ICAM1. Similarly, the high-inflammation schizophrenia subgroup emulated increased quiescent stem cell marker (GFAPD) and decreased neuronal progenitor (DLX6-AS1) and immature neuron marker (DCX) mRNA expression; but also revealed a novel increase in a marker of immature astrocytes (VIM). Replicating primary results in an independent cohort demonstrates that inflammatory subgroups in the SEZ in schizophrenia are reliable, robust and enhance understanding of neuropathological heterogeneity when studying schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hayley F North
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia; School of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine & Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Christin Weissleder
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia; German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Tübingen, Germany; Department of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Hertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Janice M Fullerton
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia; School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine & Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Maree J Webster
- Laboratory of Brain Research, Stanley Medical Research Institute, 9800 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Cynthia Shannon Weickert
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia; School of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine & Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA.
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17
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Lopes-Rocha A, Bezerra TO, Zanotto R, Lages Nascimento I, Rodrigues A, Salum C. The Antioxidant N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine Restores the Behavioral Deficits in a Neurodevelopmental Model of Schizophrenia Through a Mechanism That Involves Nitric Oxide. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:924955. [PMID: 35903343 PMCID: PMC9315304 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.924955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The disruption of neurodevelopment is a hypothesis for the emergence of schizophrenia. Some evidence supports the hypothesis that a redox imbalance could account for the developmental impairments associated with schizophrenia. Additionally, there is a deficit in glutathione (GSH), a main antioxidant, in this disorder. The injection of metilazoximetanol acetate (MAM) on the 17th day of gestation in Wistar rats recapitulates the neurodevelopmental and oxidative stress hypothesis of schizophrenia. The offspring of rats exposed to MAM treatment present in early adulthood behavioral and neurochemical deficits consistent with those seen in schizophrenia. The present study investigated if the acute and chronic (250 mg/kg) treatment during adulthood with N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC), a GSH precursor, can revert the behavioral deficits [hyperlocomotion, prepulse inhibition (PPI), and social interaction (SI)] in MAM rats and if the NAC-chronic-effects could be canceled by L-arginine (250 mg/kg, i.p, for 5 days), nitric oxide precursor. Analyses of markers involved in the inflammatory response, such as astrocytes (glial fibrillary acid protein, GFAP) and microglia (binding adapter molecule 1, Iba1), and parvalbumin (PV) positive GABAergic, were conducted in the prefrontal cortex [PFC, medial orbital cortex (MO) and prelimbic cortex (PrL)] and dorsal and ventral hippocampus [CA1, CA2, CA3, and dentate gyrus (DG)] in rats under chronic treatment with NAC. MAM rats showed decreased time of SI and increased locomotion, and both acute and chronic NAC treatments were able to recover these behavioral deficits. L-arginine blocked NAC behavioral effects. MAM rats presented increases in GFAP density at PFC and Iba1 at PFC and CA1. NAC increased the density of Iba1 cells at PFC and of PV cells at MO and CA1 of the ventral hippocampus. The results indicate that NAC recovered the behavioral deficits observed in MAM rats through a mechanism involving nitric oxide. Our data suggest an ongoing inflammatory process in MAM rats and support a potential antipsychotic effect of NAC.
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18
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Wei Y, Xiao L, Fan W, Zou J, Yang H, Liu B, Ye Y, Wen D, Liao L. Astrocyte Activation, but not Microglia, Is Associated with the Experimental Mouse Model of Schizophrenia Induced by Chronic Ketamine. J Mol Neurosci 2022; 72:1902-1915. [PMID: 35802289 DOI: 10.1007/s12031-022-02046-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Ketamine is a noncompetitive antagonist of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors. Many experimental studies have shown that ketamine can induce cognitive impairments and schizophrenia-like symptoms. While much data have demonstrated that glial cells are associated with the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia, the response of glial cells to ketamine and its significance to schizophrenia are not clear. The present study was intended to explore whether chronic ketamine treatment would induce behavioral and glial changes in mice. First, ketamine was used to stimulate behavioral abnormalities similar to schizophrenia evaluated by the open field test, elevated plus-maze test, Y maze test, novel object recognition test, and tail suspension test. Secondly, histopathology and Nissl staining were performed. Meanwhile, immunofluorescence was used to evaluate the expression levels of IBA-1 (a microglial marker) and GFAP (an astrocyte marker) in the mouse hippocampus for any change. Then, ELISA was used to analyze proinflammatory cytokine levels for any change. Our results showed that ketamine (25 mg/kg, i.p., qid, 12 days) induced anxiety, recognition deficits, and neuronal injury in the hippocampus. Moreover, chronic ketamine treatment enhanced GFAP expression in CA1 and DG regions of the hippocampus but did not influence the expression of IBA-1. Ketamine also increased the levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α in the mouse hippocampus. Our study created a new procedure for ketamine administration, which successfully induce negative symptoms and cognitive-behavioral defects in schizophrenia by chronic ketamine. This study further revealed that an increase in astrocytosis, but not microglia, is associated with the mouse model of schizophrenia caused by ketamine. In summary, hippocampal astrocytes may be involved in the pathophysiology of ketamine-induced schizophrenia-like phenotypes through reactive transformation and regulation of neuroinflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Wei
- West China School of Basic Medical Sciences & Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- College of Pharmacy, North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China
| | - Li Xiao
- West China School of Basic Medical Sciences & Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Weihao Fan
- West China School of Basic Medical Sciences & Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Jing Zou
- West China School of Basic Medical Sciences & Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Hong Yang
- West China School of Basic Medical Sciences & Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Bo Liu
- West China School of Basic Medical Sciences & Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yi Ye
- West China School of Basic Medical Sciences & Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Di Wen
- College of Forensic Medicine, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Linchuan Liao
- West China School of Basic Medical Sciences & Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
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19
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Childers E, Bowen EFW, Rhodes CH, Granger R. Immune-Related Genomic Schizophrenic Subtyping Identified in DLPFC Transcriptome. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13071200. [PMID: 35885983 PMCID: PMC9319783 DOI: 10.3390/genes13071200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2022] [Revised: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Well-documented evidence of the physiologic, genetic, and behavioral heterogeneity of schizophrenia suggests that diagnostic subtyping may clarify the underlying pathobiology of the disorder. Recent studies have demonstrated that increased inflammation may be a prominent feature of a subset of schizophrenics. However, these findings are inconsistent, possibly due to evaluating schizophrenics as a single group. In this study, we segregated schizophrenic patients into two groups (“Type 1”, “Type 2”) by their gene expression in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and explored biological differences between the subgroups. The study included post-mortem tissue samples that were sequenced in multiple, publicly available gene datasets using different sequencing methods. To evaluate the role of inflammation, the expression of genes in multiple components of neuroinflammation were examined: complement cascade activation, glial cell activation, pro-inflammatory mediator secretion, blood–brain barrier (BBB) breakdown, chemokine production and peripheral immune cell infiltration. The Type 2 schizophrenics showed widespread abnormal gene expression across all the neuroinflammation components that was not observed in Type 1 schizophrenics. Our results demonstrate the importance of separating schizophrenic patients into their molecularly defined subgroups and provide supporting evidence for the involvement of the immune-related pathways in a schizophrenic subset.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Childers
- Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA; (E.C.); (E.F.W.B.)
| | | | | | - Richard Granger
- Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA; (E.C.); (E.F.W.B.)
- Correspondence:
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20
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Huang Z, Kang M, Li G, Xiong P, Chen H, Kang L, Li S, Lu C, Li Q, Bai M. Predictive effect of Bayes discrimination in the level of serum protein factors and cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia. J Psychiatr Res 2022; 151:539-545. [PMID: 35636029 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2022.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Revised: 03/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Finding molecular biomarkers that can be related to the degree of cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia remains a challenge. The levels of 6 Serum Protein Factors (NGF, BDNF, IL-6, TNF-α, S100β, GFAP) in peripheral blood of patients with schizophrenia were measured. The cognitive function of patients with schizophrenia was assessed by MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB), a systematic assessment tool of international gold standard for cognitive function assessment of schizophrenia. To explore the correlation between these 6 biomarkers and the degree of cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia,78 schizophrenic patients and 71 healthy controls were included in the study. The serum concentrations of BDNF and GFAP were lower in the patient group, but the concentrations of IL-6, TNF-α and S100β were higher. The speed of information processing, word learning, reasoning and problem solving, visual learning T-score of the patient group were lower than the control group. Bayes discriminant function model has a high correct discriminant rate for the severity of cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia. The level of serum protein factor and clinical symptom score of schizophrenia may forecast the degree of cognitive dysfunction, which is expected to be a potential biomarker to identify the degree of cognitive dysfunction of schizophrenia, and provide objective basis for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of patients with schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengyuan Huang
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, #295 Xichang, Road, Kunming, Yunnan, 650032, China
| | - Minmin Kang
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, #295 Xichang, Road, Kunming, Yunnan, 650032, China; Department of Psychiatry, The Affiliated Hospital of Hubei Minzu University, #39 Xueyuan Road, Enshi, Hubei,445000, China
| | - Guangyu Li
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, #295 Xichang, Road, Kunming, Yunnan, 650032, China
| | - Peng Xiong
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, #295 Xichang, Road, Kunming, Yunnan, 650032, China; Yunnan Clinical Research Center for Mental Health, Kunming, Yunnan, 650032, China.
| | - Hongxu Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, #295 Xichang, Road, Kunming, Yunnan, 650032, China
| | - Lin Kang
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, #295 Xichang, Road, Kunming, Yunnan, 650032, China
| | - Shan Li
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, #295 Xichang, Road, Kunming, Yunnan, 650032, China
| | - Cailian Lu
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, #295 Xichang, Road, Kunming, Yunnan, 650032, China
| | - Qianqian Li
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, #295 Xichang, Road, Kunming, Yunnan, 650032, China
| | - Meiyan Bai
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, #295 Xichang, Road, Kunming, Yunnan, 650032, China
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21
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Zhu Y, Webster MJ, Murphy CE, Middleton FA, Massa PT, Liu C, Dai R, Weickert CS. Distinct Phenotypes of Inflammation Associated Macrophages and Microglia in the Prefrontal Cortex Schizophrenia Compared to Controls. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:858989. [PMID: 35844224 PMCID: PMC9279891 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.858989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Approximately 40% of people with schizophrenia are classified as having "high inflammation." This subgroup has worse neuropathology than patients with "low inflammation." Thus, one would expect the resident microglia and possibly monocyte-derived macrophages infiltrating from the periphery to be "activated" in those with schizophrenia with elevated neuroinflammation. To test whether microglia and/or macrophages are associated with increased inflammatory signaling in schizophrenia, we measured microglia- and macrophage-associated transcripts in the postmortem dorsolateral prefrontal cortex of 69 controls and 72 people with schizophrenia. Both groups were stratified by neuroinflammatory status based on cortical mRNA levels of cytokines and SERPINA3. We found microglial mRNAs levels were either unchanged (IBA1 and Hexb, p > 0.20) or decreased (CD11c, <62% p < 0.001) in high inflammation schizophrenia compared to controls. Conversely, macrophage CD163 mRNA levels were increased in patients, substantially so in the high inflammation schizophrenia subgroup compared to low inflammation subgroup (>250%, p < 0.0001). In contrast, high inflammation controls did not have elevated CD163 mRNA compared to low inflammation controls (p > 0.05). The pro-inflammatory macrophage marker (CD64 mRNA) was elevated (>160%, all p < 0.05) and more related to CD163 mRNA in the high inflammation schizophrenia subgroup compared to high inflammation controls, while anti-inflammatory macrophage and cytokine markers (CD206 and IL-10 mRNAs) were either unchanged or decreased in schizophrenia. Finally, macrophage recruitment chemokine CCL2 mRNA was increased in schizophrenia (>200%, p < 0.0001) and CCL2 mRNA levels positively correlated with CD163 mRNA (r = 0.46, p < 0.0001). Collectively, our findings support the co-existence of quiescent microglia and increased pro-inflammatory macrophages in the cortex of people with schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunting Zhu
- Department of Neuroscience, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, United States
| | - Maree J. Webster
- Stanley Medical Research Institute, Rockville, MD, United States
| | - Caitlin E. Murphy
- Schizophrenia Research Laboratory, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Frank A. Middleton
- Department of Neuroscience, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, United States
| | - Paul T. Massa
- Department of Neurology and Microbiology and Immunology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, United States
| | - Chunyu Liu
- Department of Psychiatry, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, United States
| | - Rujia Dai
- Department of Psychiatry, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, United States
| | - Cyndi Shannon Weickert
- Department of Neuroscience, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, United States
- Schizophrenia Research Laboratory, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- School of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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22
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Chimeric Structures in Mental Illnesses-"Magic" Molecules Specified for Complex Disorders. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23073739. [PMID: 35409098 PMCID: PMC8998808 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23073739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2022] [Revised: 03/26/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Mental health problems cover a wide spectrum of diseases, including mild to moderate anxiety, depression, alcohol/drug use disorders, as well as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Pharmacological treatment seems to be one of the most effective opportunities to recover function efficiently and satisfactorily. However, such disorders are complex as several target points are involved. This results in a necessity to combine different types of drugs to obtain the necessary therapeutic goals. There is a need to develop safer and more effective drugs. Considering that mental illnesses share multifactorial processes, the paradigm of one treatment with multiple modes of action rather than single-target strategies would be more effective for successful therapies. Therefore, hybrid molecules that combine two pharmacophores in one entity show promise, as they possess the desired therapeutic index with a small off-target risk. This review aims to provide information on chimeric structures designed for mental disorder therapy (i.e., schizophrenia and depression), and new types of drug candidates currently being tested. In addition, a discussion on some benefits and limitations of multifunctional, bivalent drug candidates is also given.
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23
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Hoang D, Xu Y, Lutz O, Bannai D, Zeng V, Bishop JR, Keshavan M, Lizano P. Inflammatory Subtypes in Antipsychotic-Naïve First-Episode Schizophrenia are Associated with Altered Brain Morphology and Topological Organization. Brain Behav Immun 2022; 100:297-308. [PMID: 34875344 PMCID: PMC8767408 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2021.11.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2021] [Revised: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 11/26/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Peripheral inflammation is implicated in schizophrenia, however, not all individuals demonstrate inflammatory alterations. Recent studies identified inflammatory subtypes in chronic psychosis with high inflammation having worse cognitive performance and displaying neuroanatomical enlargement compared to low inflammation subtypes. It is unclear if inflammatory subtypes exist earlier in the disease course, thus, we aim to identify inflammatory subtypes in antipsychotic naïve First-Episode Schizophrenia (FES). METHODS 12 peripheral inflammatory markers, clinical, cognitive, and neuroanatomical measures were collected from a naturalistic study of antipsychotic-naïve FES patients. A combination of unsupervised principal component analysis and hierarchical clustering was used to categorize inflammatory subtypes from their cytokine data (17 FES High, 30 FES Low, and 33 healthy controls (HCs)). Linear regression analysis was used to assess subtype differences. Neuroanatomical correlations with clinical and cognitive measures were performed using partial Spearman correlations. Graph theoretical analyses were performed to assess global and local network properties across inflammatory subtypes. RESULTS The FES High group made up 36% of the FES group and demonstrated significantly greater levels of IL1β, IL6, IL8, and TNFα compared to FES Low, and higher levels of IL1β and IL8 compared to HCs. FES High had greater right parahippocampal, caudal anterior cingulate, and bank superior sulcus thicknesses compared to FES Low. Compared to HCs, FES Low showed smaller bilateral amygdala volumes and widespread cortical thickness. FES High and FES Low groups demonstrated less efficient topological organization compared to HCs. Individual cytokines and/or inflammatory signatures were positively associated with cognition and symptom measures. CONCLUSIONS Inflammatory subtypes are present in antipsychotic-naïve FES and are associated with inflammation-mediated cortical expansion. These findings support our previous findings in chronic psychosis and point towards a connection between inflammation and blood-brain barrier disruption. Thus, identifying inflammatory subtypes may provide a novel therapeutic avenue for biomarker-guided treatment involving anti-inflammatory medications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dung Hoang
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yanxun Xu
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Olivia Lutz
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Deepthi Bannai
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Victor Zeng
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jeffrey R Bishop
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Psychiatry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Matcheri Keshavan
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Paulo Lizano
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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24
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Effect of dimethyl fumarate on the changes in the medial prefrontal cortex structure and behavior in the poly(I:C)-induced maternal immune activation model of schizophrenia in the male mice. Behav Brain Res 2022; 417:113581. [PMID: 34530042 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Revised: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The link between maternal immune activation (MIA) and the risk of developing schizophrenia (SCZ) later in life has been of major focus in recent years. This link could be bridged by activated inflammatory pathways and excessive cytokine release resulting in adverse effects on behavior, histology, and cytoarchitecture. The down-regulatory effects of immunomodulatory agents on the activated glial cells and their therapeutic effects on schizophrenic patients are consistent with this hypothesis. OBJECTIVE We investigated whether treatment with the anti-inflammatory drug dimethyl fumarate (DMF) could rescue impacts of prenatal exposure to polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid [poly (I:C)]. METHODS Pregnant dams were administered poly(I:C) at gestational day 9.5. Offspring born from these mothers were treated with DMF for fourteen consecutive days from postnatal day 80 and were assessed behaviorally before and after treatment. The brains were then stained with Cresyl Violet or Golgi-Cox. In addition to the estimation of stereological parameters, cytoarchitectural changes were also evaluated in the medial prefrontal cortex. RESULTS MIA caused some abnormalities in behavior, as well as changes in the number of neurons and non-neurons. These alterations were also extended to pyramidal layer III neurons with a significant decrease in dendritic complexity and spine density which DMF treatment could prevent these changes. Furthermore, DMF treatment was also effective against abnormal exploratory and depression-related behavior, but not the changes in the number of cells. CONCLUSION These findings support the idea of using anti-inflammatory agents as adjunctive therapy in patients with SCZ.
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25
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Glial Cell Abnormalities in Major Psychiatric Diseases: A Systematic Review of Postmortem Brain Studies. Mol Neurobiol 2022; 59:1665-1692. [PMID: 35013935 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-021-02672-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/25/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
There have been a large number of reports about glial cell dysfunction being related to major psychiatric diseases such as schizophrenia (SCZ), bipolar disorder (BD), and major depressive disorder (MDD). In this review, we provide an overview of postmortem studies analyzing the structural changes of glial cells in these three major psychiatric diseases, including the density, number and size of glial cells, and the expression of related markers. Up to May 1, 2021, 108 articles that met the inclusion criteria were identified by searching PubMed and Web of Science. Although most studies evaluating total glial cells did not show abnormalities in the brains of postmortem patients, astrocytes, microglial cells, and oligodendrocytes seem to have specific patterns of changes in each disease. For example, out of 20 studies that evaluated astrocyte markers in MDD, 11 studies found decreased astrocyte marker expression in MDD patients. Similarly, out of 25 studies evaluating oligodendrocyte markers in SCZ, 15 studies showed decreased expression of oligodendrocyte markers in different brain regions of SCZ patients. In addition, activated microglial cells were observed in patients with SCZ, BD, and MDD, but suicide may be a confounding factor for the observed effects. Although the data from the included studies were heterogeneous and this cannot be fully explained at present, it is likely that there are a variety of contributing factors, including the measured brain regions, methods of measurement, gender, age at time of death, and medications.
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26
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Ranganathan M, Rahman M, Ganesh S, D'Souza DC, Skosnik PD, Radhakrishnan R, Pathania S, Mohanakumar T. Analysis of circulating exosomes reveals a peripheral signature of astrocytic pathology in schizophrenia. World J Biol Psychiatry 2022; 23:33-45. [PMID: 33821753 DOI: 10.1080/15622975.2021.1907720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Extracellular vesicles, including exosomes, cross the blood brain barrier with their contents intact and can be assayed peripherally. Circulating exosomes have been studied in other neurodegenerative disorders, but there is scarce data in schizophrenia. This study aimed to examine neuropathology-relevant protein biomarkers in circulating plasma-derived exosomes from patients with schizophrenia and age- and sex-matched healthy controls. METHODS Nanoparticle tracking analysis was used to determine the size and concentration of exosomes. Exosomal membrane marker (CD9) and specific target cargo protein (glial fibrillary acid protein[GFAP], synaptophysin, and α-II-Spectrin) immunopositivity was examined using Western blot analyses with band intensity quantified. Methods were consistent with the 'Minimal information for studies of extracellular vesicles 2018' (MISEV2018) guidelines. RESULTS Exosomal GFAP concentration was significantly higher and α-II-Spectrin expression significantly lower in plasma obtained from schizophrenia patients. No group differences were observed between in plasma exosomal concentration and size or in CD9, calnexin, or synaptophysin levels. CONCLUSIONS Our results demonstrate a differential pattern of exosomal protein expression in schizophrenia compared to matched healthy controls, consistent with the hypothesised astroglial pathology in this disorder. These results warrant further examination of circulating exosomes as vehicles of novel peripheral biomarkers of disease in schizophrenia and other neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohini Ranganathan
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.,VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - Mohamed Rahman
- St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, Norton Thoracic Institute, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - Suhas Ganesh
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Deepak C D'Souza
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.,VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - Patrick D Skosnik
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.,VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - Rajiv Radhakrishnan
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Surbhi Pathania
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
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27
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Inflammation Subtypes and Translating Inflammation-Related Genetic Findings in Schizophrenia and Related Psychoses: A Perspective on Pathways for Treatment Stratification and Novel Therapies. Harv Rev Psychiatry 2022; 30:59-70. [PMID: 34995036 PMCID: PMC8746916 DOI: 10.1097/hrp.0000000000000321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Dysregulation of immunological and inflammatory processes is frequently observed in psychotic disorders. Numerous studies have examined the complex components of innate and adaptive immune processes in schizophrenia and related psychoses. Elevated inflammation in these conditions is related to neurobiological phenotypes and associated with both genetics and environmental exposures. Recent studies have utilized multivariate cytokine approaches to identify what appears to be a subset of individuals with elevated inflammation. The degree to which these findings represent a general process of dysregulated inflammation or whether there are more refined subtypes remains unclear. Brain-imaging studies have attempted to establish the link between peripheral inflammation and gray matter disruption, white matter abnormalities, and neuropsychological phenotypes. However, the interplay between peripheral inflammation and neuroinflammation, as well as the consequences of this interplay, in the context of psychosis remains unclear and requires further investigation. This Perspectives article reviews the following elements of immune dysregulation and its clinical and therapeutic implications: (1) evidence supporting inflammation and immune dysregulation in schizophrenia and related psychoses; (2) recent advances in approaches to characterizing subgroups of patients with elevated inflammation; (3) relationships between peripheral inflammation and brain-imaging indicators of neuroinflammation; (4) convergence of large-scale genetic findings and peripheral inflammation findings; and (5) therapeutic implications: anti-inflammation interventions leveraging genetic findings for drug discovery and repurposing. We offer perspectives and examples of how multiomics technologies may be useful for constructing and studying immunogenetic signatures. Advancing research in this area will facilitate biomarker discovery, disease subtyping, and the development of etiological treatments for immune dysregulation in psychosis.
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28
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North HF, Weissleder C, Fullerton JM, Sager R, Webster MJ, Weickert CS. A schizophrenia subgroup with elevated inflammation displays reduced microglia, increased peripheral immune cell and altered neurogenesis marker gene expression in the subependymal zone. Transl Psychiatry 2021; 11:635. [PMID: 34911938 PMCID: PMC8674325 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-021-01742-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Revised: 09/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Inflammation regulates neurogenesis, and the brains of patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder have reduced expression of neurogenesis markers in the subependymal zone (SEZ), the birthplace of inhibitory interneurons. Inflammation is associated with cortical interneuron deficits, but the relationship between inflammation and reduced neurogenesis in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder remains unexplored. Therefore, we investigated inflammation in the SEZ by defining those with low and high levels of inflammation using cluster analysis of IL6, IL6R, IL1R1 and SERPINA3 gene expression in 32 controls, 32 schizophrenia and 29 bipolar disorder cases. We then determined whether mRNAs for markers of glia, immune cells and neurogenesis varied with inflammation. A significantly greater proportion of schizophrenia (37%) and bipolar disorder cases (32%) were in high inflammation subgroups compared to controls (10%, p < 0.05). Across the high inflammation subgroups of psychiatric disorders, mRNAs of markers for phagocytic microglia were reduced (P2RY12, P2RY13), while mRNAs of markers for perivascular macrophages (CD163), pro-inflammatory macrophages (CD64), monocytes (CD14), natural killer cells (FCGR3A) and adhesion molecules (ICAM1) were increased. Specific to high inflammation schizophrenia, quiescent stem cell marker mRNA (GFAPD) was reduced, whereas neuronal progenitor (ASCL1) and immature neuron marker mRNAs (DCX) were decreased compared to low inflammation control and schizophrenia subgroups. Thus, a heightened state of inflammation may dampen microglial response and recruit peripheral immune cells in psychiatric disorders. The findings elucidate differential neurogenic responses to inflammation within psychiatric disorders and highlight that inflammation may impair neuronal differentiation in the SEZ in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hayley F North
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- School of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | | | - Janice M Fullerton
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Rachel Sager
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA
| | - Maree J Webster
- Laboratory of Brain Research, Stanley Medical Research Institute, 9800 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Cynthia Shannon Weickert
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
- School of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia.
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA.
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29
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Astrocytes in Neuropsychiatric Disorders: A Review of Postmortem Evidence. ADVANCES IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2021; 26:153-172. [PMID: 34888835 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-77375-5_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Glial cell types in the central nervous system (CNS) include microglia, oligodendrocytes and the most diverse type, astrocytes. Clinical and experimental evidence suggest critical roles for astrocytes in the pathogenesis of CNS disease. Here, we summarize the extensive morphological heterogeneity and physiological properties of different astrocyte subtypes. We review postmortem studies, discussing astrocyte-related changes found in the brain in subjects diagnosed with the neuropsychiatric disorders schizophrenia, major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder. Finally, we discuss the potential effects of psychotropic medication on these findings. In summary, postmortem studies highlight that the morphology of astrocytes and the expression of functionally important astrocyte markers are altered in the brain in neuropsychiatric disorders and may play a role in the pathophysiology of these serious mental illnesses.
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30
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Roman C, Vivi E, Di Benedetto B. Morphological Features of Astrocytes in Health and Neuropsychiatric Disorders. ADVANCES IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2021; 26:75-92. [PMID: 34888831 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-77375-5_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Astroglial cells actively partner with several cell types to regulate the arrangement of neuronal circuits both in the developing and adult brain. Morphological features of astroglial cells strongly impact their functional interactions, thereby supporting the hypothesis that aberrancies in glial morphology may trigger the onset of neuropsychiatric disorders. Thus, understanding the factors which modulate astroglial shapes and the development of tools to examine them may help to gain valuable insights about the role of astroglia in physiological and pathological brain states.Here, we present a collection of representative review and original articles describing the major morphological features which define different subtypes of glial cells and emphasize a high degree of heterogeneity typical of these cell types, besides neurons. Furthermore, we offer an overview about first in vitro and in vivo evidences, which highlight an altered morphology of glial cells in brains of psychiatric patients and animal models of neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Celia Roman
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Eugenia Vivi
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Barbara Di Benedetto
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany. .,Regensburg Center of Neuroscience, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.
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31
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A human iPSC-astroglia neurodevelopmental model reveals divergent transcriptomic patterns in schizophrenia. Transl Psychiatry 2021; 11:554. [PMID: 34716291 PMCID: PMC8556332 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-021-01681-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2021] [Revised: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
While neurodevelopmental abnormalities have been associated with schizophrenia (SCZ), the role of astroglia in disease pathophysiology remains poorly understood. In the present study, we used a human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived astrocyte model to investigate the temporal patterns of astroglia differentiation during developmental stages critical for SCZ using RNA sequencing. The model generated astrocyte-specific gene expression patterns during differentiation that corresponded well to astroglia-specific expression signatures of in vivo cortical fetal development. Using this model we identified SCZ-specific expression dynamics, and found that SCZ-associated differentially expressed genes were significantly enriched in the medial prefrontal cortex, striatum, and temporal lobe, targeting VWA5A and ADAMTS19. In addition, SCZ astrocytes displayed alterations in calcium signaling, and significantly decreased glutamate uptake and metalloproteinase activity relative to controls. These results implicate novel transcriptional dynamics in astrocyte differentiation in SCZ together with functional changes that are potentially important biological components of SCZ pathology.
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32
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Murphy CE, Walker AK, Weickert CS. Neuroinflammation in schizophrenia: the role of nuclear factor kappa B. Transl Psychiatry 2021; 11:528. [PMID: 34650030 PMCID: PMC8516884 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-021-01607-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Revised: 08/22/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuroinflammation, particularly in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, is well-established in a subset of people with schizophrenia, with significant increases in inflammatory markers including several cytokines. Yet the cause(s) of cortical inflammation in schizophrenia remains unknown. Clues as to potential microenvironmental triggers and/or intracellular deficits in immunoregulation may be gleaned from looking further upstream of effector immune molecules to transcription factors that control inflammatory gene expression. Here, we focus on the 'master immune regulator' nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and review evidence in support of NF-κB dysregulation causing or contributing to neuroinflammation in patients. We discuss the utility of 'immune biotyping' as a tool to analyse immune-related transcripts and proteins in patient tissue, and the insights into cortical NF-κB in schizophrenia revealed by immune biotyping compared to studies treating patients as a single, homogenous group. Though the ubiquitous nature of NF-κB presents several hurdles for drug development, targeting this key immunoregulator with novel or repurposed therapeutics in schizophrenia is a relatively underexplored area that could aid in reducing symptoms of patients with active neuroinflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin E. Murphy
- grid.250407.40000 0000 8900 8842Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, NSW 2031 Australia
| | - Adam K. Walker
- grid.250407.40000 0000 8900 8842Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, NSW 2031 Australia ,grid.1005.40000 0004 4902 0432School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Randwick, NSW 2031 Australia ,grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857Drug Discovery Biology Theme, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC 3052 Australia
| | - Cynthia Shannon Weickert
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, NSW, 2031, Australia. .,School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Randwick, NSW, 2031, Australia. .,Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, 13210, USA.
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33
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Marrone S, Costanzo R, Scalia G, Umana GE, Riolo C, Giuffrida A, Vasta G, Calì A, Graziano F, Florio A, Ponzo G, Giuffrida M, Furnari M, Iacopino DG, Nicoletti GF. Delayed brain reexpansion in schizophrenic patient affected by trabecular type chronic subdural hematoma. Surg Neurol Int 2021; 12:442. [PMID: 34621558 PMCID: PMC8492410 DOI: 10.25259/sni_784_2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2021] [Accepted: 08/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Chronic subdural hematoma (cSDH) represents a complex and unpredictable disease, characterized by high morbidity and mortality, especially in elderly patients. Factors affecting the postoperative brain reexpansion along to cSDH recurrence have not been yet adequately investigated. The authors presented the case of a schizophrenic patient affected by trabecular type cSDH that presented a delayed brain reexpansion despite a craniotomy and membranotomy. Case Description: A 51-year-old female patient with diagnosis of schizophrenia was admitted to the emergency department with GCS score of 5/15 and right anisocoria. An urgent brain CT revealed a trabecular right cSDH (35 mm in maximum diameter) with recent bleeding. After surgery, a brain CT scan showed a markedly reduced brain reexpansion and pneumocephalus. Nevertheless, postoperative 7-day brain CT documented a progressive brain reexpansion with reduced midline shift. Conclusion: According to our opinion, anatomopathological alterations in schizophrenia reduce normal brain compliance and increasing elastance, thus modifying the normal timing of reexpansion after cSDH drainage, also after craniotomy and membranotomy. Although postoperative pneumocephalus is a well-known cause of hindered reexpansion, this could be due to anatomical alterations in schizophrenia. Such factors must be considered in the preoperative planning but mostly in the postoperative management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salvatore Marrone
- Experimental Biomedicine and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Postgraduate Residency Program in Neurological Surgery, Neurosurgical Clinic, AOUP "Paolo Giaccone", Palermo, Italy
| | - Roberta Costanzo
- Experimental Biomedicine and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Postgraduate Residency Program in Neurological Surgery, Neurosurgical Clinic, AOUP "Paolo Giaccone", Palermo, Italy
| | - Gianluca Scalia
- Department of Neurosurgery, Highly Specialized Hospital and of National Importance "Garibaldi", Catania, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Emmanuele Umana
- Department of Neurosurgery, Cannizzaro Hospital, Trauma Center, Gamma Knife Center, Catania, Italy
| | - Carmelo Riolo
- Department of Neurosurgery, Highly Specialized Hospital and of National Importance "Garibaldi", Catania, Italy
| | - Angelo Giuffrida
- Department of Neurosurgery, Highly Specialized Hospital and of National Importance "Garibaldi", Catania, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Vasta
- Department of Neurosurgery, Highly Specialized Hospital and of National Importance "Garibaldi", Catania, Italy
| | - Alessandro Calì
- Department of Neurosurgery, Highly Specialized Hospital and of National Importance "Garibaldi", Catania, Italy
| | - Francesca Graziano
- Experimental Biomedicine and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Postgraduate Residency Program in Neurological Surgery, Neurosurgical Clinic, AOUP "Paolo Giaccone", Palermo, Italy.,Department of Neurosurgery, Highly Specialized Hospital and of National Importance "Garibaldi", Catania, Italy
| | - Agatino Florio
- Department of Neurosurgery, Highly Specialized Hospital and of National Importance "Garibaldi", Catania, Italy
| | - Giancarlo Ponzo
- Department of Neurosurgery, Highly Specialized Hospital and of National Importance "Garibaldi", Catania, Italy
| | - Massimiliano Giuffrida
- Department of Neurosurgery, Highly Specialized Hospital and of National Importance "Garibaldi", Catania, Italy
| | - Massimo Furnari
- Department of Neurosurgery, Highly Specialized Hospital and of National Importance "Garibaldi", Catania, Italy
| | - Domenico Gerardo Iacopino
- Experimental Biomedicine and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Postgraduate Residency Program in Neurological Surgery, Neurosurgical Clinic, AOUP "Paolo Giaccone", Palermo, Italy
| | - Giovanni Federico Nicoletti
- Department of Neurosurgery, Highly Specialized Hospital and of National Importance "Garibaldi", Catania, Italy
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34
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Zhang X, Alnafisah RS, Hamoud ARA, Shukla R, Wen Z, McCullumsmith RE, O'Donovan SM. Role of Astrocytes in Major Neuropsychiatric Disorders. Neurochem Res 2021; 46:2715-2730. [PMID: 33411227 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-020-03212-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2020] [Revised: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Astrocytes are the primary homeostatic cells of the central nervous system, essential for normal neuronal development and function, metabolism and response to injury and inflammation. Here, we review postmortem studies examining changes in astrocytes in subjects diagnosed with the neuropsychiatric disorders schizophrenia (SCZ), major depressive disorder (MDD), and bipolar disorder (BPD). We discuss the astrocyte-related changes described in the brain in these disorders and the potential effects of psychotropic medication on these findings. Finally, we describe emerging tools that can be used to study the role of astrocytes in neuropsychiatric illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolu Zhang
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Toledo College of Medicine, Block Health Science Building, 3000 Arlington Avenue, Toledo, OH, 43614, USA
| | - Rawan S Alnafisah
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Toledo College of Medicine, Block Health Science Building, 3000 Arlington Avenue, Toledo, OH, 43614, USA
| | - Abdul-Rizaq A Hamoud
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Toledo College of Medicine, Block Health Science Building, 3000 Arlington Avenue, Toledo, OH, 43614, USA
| | - Rammohan Shukla
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Toledo College of Medicine, Block Health Science Building, 3000 Arlington Avenue, Toledo, OH, 43614, USA
| | - Zhexing Wen
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Cell Biology, and Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Robert E McCullumsmith
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Toledo College of Medicine, Block Health Science Building, 3000 Arlington Avenue, Toledo, OH, 43614, USA.,Neurosciences Institute, ProMedica, Toledo, OH, USA
| | - Sinead M O'Donovan
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Toledo College of Medicine, Block Health Science Building, 3000 Arlington Avenue, Toledo, OH, 43614, USA.
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35
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Fritschi L, Lindmar JH, Scheidl F, Lenk K. Neuronal and Astrocytic Regulations in Schizophrenia: A Computational Modelling Study. Front Cell Neurosci 2021; 15:718459. [PMID: 34512269 PMCID: PMC8428975 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2021.718459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
According to the tripartite synapse model, astrocytes have a modulatory effect on neuronal signal transmission. More recently, astrocyte malfunction has been associated with psychiatric diseases such as schizophrenia. Several hypotheses have been proposed on the pathological mechanisms of astrocytes in schizophrenia. For example, post-mortem examinations have revealed a reduced astrocytic density in patients with schizophrenia. Another hypothesis suggests that disease symptoms are linked to an abnormality of glutamate transmission, which is also regulated by astrocytes (glutamate hypothesis of schizophrenia). Electrophysiological findings indicate a dispute over whether the disorder causes an increase or a decrease in neuronal and astrocytic activity. Moreover, there is no consensus as to which molecular pathways and network mechanisms are altered in schizophrenia. Computational models can aid the process in finding the underlying pathological malfunctions. The effect of astrocytes on the activity of neuron-astrocyte networks has been analysed with computational models. These can reproduce experimentally observed phenomena, such as astrocytic modulation of spike and burst signalling in neuron-astrocyte networks. Using an established computational neuron-astrocyte network model, we simulate experimental data of healthy and pathological networks by using different neuronal and astrocytic parameter configurations. In our simulations, the reduction of neuronal or astrocytic cell densities yields decreased glutamate levels and a statistically significant reduction in the network activity. Amplifications of the astrocytic ATP release toward postsynaptic terminals also reduced the network activity and resulted in temporarily increased glutamate levels. In contrast, reducing either the glutamate release or re-uptake in astrocytes resulted in higher network activities. Similarly, an increase in synaptic weights of excitatory or inhibitory neurons raises the excitability of individual cells and elevates the activation level of the network. To conclude, our simulations suggest that the impairment of both neurons and astrocytes disturbs the neuronal network activity in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lea Fritschi
- Department of Mathematics, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Florian Scheidl
- Department of Computer Science, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Kerstin Lenk
- Computational Biophysics and Imaging Group (CBIG), Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, BioMediTech, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
- Institute of Neural Engineering, Graz University of Technology, Graz, Austria
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36
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Lizano P, Lutz O, Xu Y, Rubin LH, Paskowitz L, Lee AM, Eum S, Keedy SK, Hill SK, Reilly JL, Wu B, Tamminga CA, Clementz BA, Pearlson GD, Gershon ES, Keshavan MS, Sweeney JA, Bishop JR. Multivariate relationships between peripheral inflammatory marker subtypes and cognitive and brain structural measures in psychosis. Mol Psychiatry 2021; 26:3430-3443. [PMID: 33060818 PMCID: PMC8046847 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-020-00914-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Accepted: 10/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Elevations in peripheral inflammatory markers have been reported in patients with psychosis. Whether this represents an inflammatory process defined by individual or subgroups of markers is unclear. Further, relationships between peripheral inflammatory marker elevations and brain structure, cognition, and clinical features of psychosis remain unclear. We hypothesized that a pattern of plasma inflammatory markers, and an inflammatory subtype established from this pattern, would be elevated across the psychosis spectrum and associated with cognition and brain structural alterations. Clinically stable psychosis probands (Schizophrenia spectrum, n = 79; Psychotic Bipolar disorder, n = 61) and matched healthy controls (HC, n = 60) were assessed for 15 peripheral inflammatory markers, cortical thickness, subcortical volume, cognition, and symptoms. A combination of unsupervised exploratory factor analysis and hierarchical clustering was used to identify inflammation subtypes. Levels of IL6, TNFα, VEGF, and CRP were significantly higher in psychosis probands compared to HCs, and there were marker-specific differences when comparing diagnostic groups. Individual and/or inflammatory marker patterns were associated with neuroimaging, cognition, and symptom measures. A higher inflammation subgroup was defined by elevations in a group of 7 markers in 36% of Probands and 20% of HCs. Probands in the elevated inflammatory marker group performed significantly worse on cognitive measures of visuo-spatial working memory and response inhibition, displayed elevated hippocampal, amygdala, putamen and thalamus volumes, and evidence of gray matter thickening compared to the proband group with low inflammatory marker levels. These findings specify the nature of peripheral inflammatory marker alterations in psychotic disorders and establish clinical, neurocognitive and neuroanatomic associations with increased inflammatory activation in psychosis. The identification of a specific subgroup of patients with inflammatory alteration provides a potential means for targeting treatment with anti-inflammatory medications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulo Lizano
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Olivia Lutz
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yanxun Xu
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Leah H Rubin
- Department of Neurology, Psychiatry, and Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Lyle Paskowitz
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Adam M Lee
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Seenae Eum
- School of Pharmacy, Shenandoah University, Winchester, Virginia, USA
| | - Sarah K Keedy
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - S Kristian Hill
- Department of Psychology, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, USA
| | - James L Reilly
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Baolin Wu
- Division of Biostatistics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Carol A Tamminga
- Department of Psychiatry, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Brett A Clementz
- Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | | | - Elliot S Gershon
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Matcheri S Keshavan
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - John A Sweeney
- Deptartment of Psychiatry, University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Jeffrey R Bishop
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
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37
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Chang CY, Luo DZ, Pei JC, Kuo MC, Hsieh YC, Lai WS. Not Just a Bystander: The Emerging Role of Astrocytes and Research Tools in Studying Cognitive Dysfunctions in Schizophrenia. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22105343. [PMID: 34069523 PMCID: PMC8160762 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22105343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Revised: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Cognitive dysfunction is one of the core symptoms in schizophrenia, and it is predictive of functional outcomes and therefore useful for treatment targets. Rather than improving cognitive deficits, currently available antipsychotics mainly focus on positive symptoms, targeting dopaminergic/serotoninergic neurons and receptors in the brain. Apart from investigating the neural mechanisms underlying schizophrenia, emerging evidence indicates the importance of glial cells in brain structure development and their involvement in cognitive functions. Although the etiopathology of astrocytes in schizophrenia remains unclear, accumulated evidence reveals that alterations in gene expression and astrocyte products have been reported in schizophrenic patients. To further investigate the role of astrocytes in schizophrenia, we highlighted recent progress in the investigation of the effect of astrocytes on abnormalities in glutamate transmission and impairments in the blood–brain barrier. Recent advances in animal models and behavioral methods were introduced to examine schizophrenia-related cognitive deficits and negative symptoms. We also highlighted several experimental tools that further elucidate the role of astrocytes. Instead of focusing on schizophrenia as a neuron-specific disorder, an additional astrocytic perspective provides novel and promising insight into its causal mechanisms and treatment. The involvement of astrocytes in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia and other brain disorders is worth further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chia-Yuan Chang
- Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan; (C.-Y.C.); (D.-Z.L.); (J.-C.P.); (Y.-C.H.)
- Neurobiology and Cognitive Science Center, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan;
| | - Da-Zhong Luo
- Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan; (C.-Y.C.); (D.-Z.L.); (J.-C.P.); (Y.-C.H.)
| | - Ju-Chun Pei
- Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan; (C.-Y.C.); (D.-Z.L.); (J.-C.P.); (Y.-C.H.)
| | - Ming-Che Kuo
- Neurobiology and Cognitive Science Center, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan;
- Department of Neurology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei 100225, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Chen Hsieh
- Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan; (C.-Y.C.); (D.-Z.L.); (J.-C.P.); (Y.-C.H.)
| | - Wen-Sung Lai
- Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan; (C.-Y.C.); (D.-Z.L.); (J.-C.P.); (Y.-C.H.)
- Neurobiology and Cognitive Science Center, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan;
- Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +886-2-3366-3112; Fax: +886-2-3362-9909
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Abstract
Schizophrenia is a severe and clinically heterogenous mental disorder
affecting approximately 1% of the population worldwide. Despite
tremendous achievements in the field of schizophrenia research, its
precise aetiology remains elusive. Besides dysfunctional neuronal
signalling, the pathophysiology of schizophrenia appears to involve
molecular and functional abnormalities in glial cells, including
astrocytes. This article provides a concise overview of the current
evidence supporting altered astrocyte activity in schizophrenia, which
ranges from findings obtained from post-mortem immunohistochemical
analyses, genetic association studies and transcriptomic
investigations, as well as from experimental investigations of
astrocyte functions in animal models. Integrating the existing data
from these research areas strongly suggests that astrocytes have the
capacity to critically affect key neurodevelopmental and homeostatic
processes pertaining to schizophrenia pathogenesis, including
glutamatergic signalling, synaptogenesis, synaptic pruning and
myelination. The further elucidation of astrocytes functions in health
and disease may, therefore, offer new insights into how these glial
cells contribute to abnormal brain development and functioning
underlying this debilitating mental disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tina Notter
- Tina Notter, Institute of
Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich-Vetsuisse, Zurich,
Switzerland. Emails: ;
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39
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Crockett AM, Ryan SK, Vásquez AH, Canning C, Kanyuch N, Kebir H, Ceja G, Gesualdi J, Zackai E, McDonald-McGinn D, Viaene A, Kapoor R, Benallegue N, Gur R, Anderson SA, Alvarez JI. Disruption of the blood-brain barrier in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome. Brain 2021; 144:1351-1360. [PMID: 33876226 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awab055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2019] [Revised: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 12/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuroimmune dysregulation is implicated in neuropsychiatric disorders including schizophrenia. As the blood-brain barrier is the immunological interface between the brain and the periphery, we investigated whether this vascular phenotype is intrinsically compromised in the most common genetic risk factor for schizophrenia, the 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22qDS). Blood-brain barrier like endothelium differentiated from human 22qDS+schizophrenia-induced pluripotent stem cells exhibited impaired barrier integrity, a phenotype substantiated in a mouse model of 22qDS. The proinflammatory intercellular adhesion molecule-1 was upregulated in 22qDS+schizophrenia-induced blood-brain barrier and in 22qDS mice, indicating compromise of the blood-brain barrier immune privilege. This immune imbalance resulted in increased migration/activation of leucocytes crossing the 22qDS+schizophrenia blood-brain barrier. We also found heightened astrocyte activation in murine 22qDS, suggesting that the blood-brain barrier promotes astrocyte-mediated neuroinflammation. Finally, we substantiated these findings in post-mortem 22qDS brain tissue. Overall, the barrier-promoting and immune privilege properties of the 22qDS blood-brain barrier are compromised, and this might increase the risk for neuropsychiatric disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexis M Crockett
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Sean K Ryan
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.,Division of Human Genetics, 22q and You Center, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Adriana Hernandez Vásquez
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Caroline Canning
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.,Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Nickole Kanyuch
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.,Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Hania Kebir
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Guadalupe Ceja
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - James Gesualdi
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Elaine Zackai
- Division of Human Genetics, 22q and You Center, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Donna McDonald-McGinn
- Division of Human Genetics, 22q and You Center, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Angela Viaene
- Department of Pathology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.,Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Richa Kapoor
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Naïl Benallegue
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.,Inserm, Centre de Recherche en Transplantation et Immunologie, UMR 1064, ITUN, F-44000 Nantes, France
| | - Raquel Gur
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Stewart A Anderson
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Jorge I Alvarez
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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40
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Tahamtan M, Kohlmeier KA, Faatehi M, Basiri M, Shabani M. Electrophysiological and inflammatory changes of CA1 area in male rats exposed to acute kidney injury: Neuroprotective effects of erythropoietin. Brain Res Bull 2021; 171:25-34. [PMID: 33722647 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2021.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Revised: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
The high mortality rate associated with acute kidney injury (AKI) is commonly due to progressive, inflammatory multiple organ dysfunction, which often involves neurological complications. The AKI-stimulated mechanisms leading to brain dysfunction are not well understood, which hinders development of new therapeutic avenues to minimize AKI-mediated neural effects. The hippocampal CA1 area is a particularly vulnerable region during AKI but the electrophysiological and inflammatory mechanisms involved in this vulnerability remain largely unknown. Here, we used immunohistochemistry to quantitatively investigate the number of astrocytes expressing glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) as an indicator of inflammation, and whole cell patch clamp to evaluate electrophysiological changes in CA1 at different time points following induction of bilateral renal ischemia (BRI) in male Wistar rats. Further we evaluated the effectiveness of erythropoietin (EPO, 1000 U/kg i.p.) in mitigating BRI-associated changes. Plasma concentrations of blood urea nitrogen (BUN) were significantly enhanced at 24 h, 72 h and 1 week, and creatinine (Cr) was increased at 24 h after reperfusion, which were changes reduced by EPO. BRI led to an increase in CA1 GFAP-positive cells 24 h and 72 h, but not 1 week, after reperfusion, and EPO reversed this effect of BRI at 24 h. Additionally, BRI caused an increase in the peak amplitude and coefficient of variation of CA1 pyramidal neuronal action potentials, which were changes not seen in presence of EPO. When taken together, altered neuronal electrophysiological properties and astrogliosis could contribute to the neurological complications induced by AKI, and EPO offers hope as a potential neuroprotective agent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahshid Tahamtan
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Advanced Medical Sciences and Technologies, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Kristi Anne Kohlmeier
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Mahdiyeh Faatehi
- Neuroscience Research Center, Neuropharmacology Institute, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Mohsen Basiri
- Neuroscience Research Center, Neuropharmacology Institute, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Mohammad Shabani
- Neuroscience Research Center, Neuropharmacology Institute, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
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41
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Corsi-Zuelli F, Deakin B. Impaired regulatory T cell control of astroglial overdrive and microglial pruning in schizophrenia. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 125:637-653. [PMID: 33713699 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2020] [Revised: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 03/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
It is widely held that schizophrenia involves an active process of peripheral inflammation that induces or reflects brain inflammation with activation of microglia, the brain's resident immune cells. However, recent in vivo radioligand binding studies and large-scale transcriptomics in post-mortem brain report reduced markers of microglial inflammation. The findings suggest a contrary hypothesis; that microglia are diverted into their non-inflammatory synaptic remodelling phenotype that interferes with neurodevelopment and perhaps contributes to the relapsing nature of schizophrenia. Recent discoveries on the regulatory interactions between micro- and astroglial cells and immune regulatory T cells (Tregs) cohere with clinical omics data to suggest that: i) disinhibited astrocytes mediate the shift in microglial phenotype via the production of transforming growth factor-beta, which also contributes to the disturbances of dopamine and GABA function in schizophrenia, and ii) systemically impaired functioning of Treg cells contributes to the dysregulation of glial function, the low-grade peripheral inflammation, and the hitherto unexplained predisposition to auto-immunity and reduced life-expectancy in schizophrenia, including greater COVID-19 mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabiana Corsi-Zuelli
- Department of Neuroscience and Behaviour, Division of Psychiatry, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, 14048-900, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Bill Deakin
- Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK.
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42
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Purves-Tyson TD, Weber-Stadlbauer U, Richetto J, Rothmond DA, Labouesse MA, Polesel M, Robinson K, Shannon Weickert C, Meyer U. Increased levels of midbrain immune-related transcripts in schizophrenia and in murine offspring after maternal immune activation. Mol Psychiatry 2021; 26:849-863. [PMID: 31168068 PMCID: PMC7910216 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-019-0434-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2018] [Revised: 04/10/2019] [Accepted: 04/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
The pathophysiology of dopamine dysregulation in schizophrenia involves alterations at the ventral midbrain level. Given that inflammatory mediators such as cytokines influence the functional properties of midbrain dopamine neurons, midbrain inflammation may play a role in schizophrenia by contributing to presynaptic dopamine abnormalities. Thus, we quantified inflammatory markers in dopaminergic areas of the midbrain of people with schizophrenia and matched controls. We also measured these markers in midbrain of mice exposed to maternal immune activation (MIA) during pregnancy, an established risk factor for schizophrenia and other psychiatric disorders. We found diagnostic increases in SERPINA3, TNFα, IL1β, IL6, and IL6ST transcripts in schizophrenia compared with controls (p < 0.02-0.001). The diagnostic differences in these immune markers were accounted for by a subgroup of schizophrenia cases (~ 45%, 13/28) showing high immune status. Consistent with the human cohort, we identified increased expression of immune markers in the midbrain of adult MIA offspring (SERPINA3, TNFα, and IL1β mRNAs, all p ≤ 0.01), which was driven by a subset of MIA offspring (~ 40%, 13/32) with high immune status. There were no diagnostic (human cohort) or group-wise (mouse cohort) differences in cellular markers indexing the density and/or morphology of microglia or astrocytes, but an increase in the transcription of microglial and astrocytic markers in schizophrenia cases and MIA offspring with high inflammation. These data demonstrate that immune-related changes in schizophrenia extend to dopaminergic areas of the midbrain and exist in the absence of changes in microglial cell number, but with putative evidence of microglial and astrocytic activation in the high immune subgroup. MIA may be one of the contributing factors underlying persistent neuroimmune changes in the midbrain of people with schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tertia D Purves-Tyson
- Schizophrenia Research Laboratory, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW, 2031, Australia
- School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Ulrike Weber-Stadlbauer
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich-Vetsuisse, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Juliet Richetto
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich-Vetsuisse, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Debora A Rothmond
- Schizophrenia Research Laboratory, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW, 2031, Australia
| | - Marie A Labouesse
- Physiology and Behavior Laboratory, ETH Zurich, Schwerzenbach, Switzerland
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, 1051 Riverside Drive, NYC, 10032, NY, USA
| | | | - Kate Robinson
- Schizophrenia Research Laboratory, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW, 2031, Australia
| | - Cynthia Shannon Weickert
- Schizophrenia Research Laboratory, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW, 2031, Australia.
- School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia.
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, 13210, New York, USA.
| | - Urs Meyer
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich-Vetsuisse, Zurich, Switzerland.
- Neuroscience Centre Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
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43
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Al-Absi AR, Qvist P, Glerup S, Sanchez C, Nyengaard JR. Df(h15q13)/+ Mouse Model Reveals Loss of Astrocytes and Synaptic-Related Changes of the Excitatory and Inhibitory Circuits in the Medial Prefrontal Cortex. Cereb Cortex 2021; 31:1609-1621. [PMID: 33123721 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Revised: 08/19/2020] [Accepted: 09/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The 15q13.3 deletion is associated with multiple neurodevelopmental disorders including epilepsy, schizophrenia, and autism. The Df(h15q13)/+ mouse model was recently generated that recapitulates several phenotypic features of the human 15q13.3 deletion syndrome (DS). However, the biological substrates underlying these phenotypes in Df(h15q13)/+ mice have not yet been fully characterized. RNA sequencing followed by real-time quantitative PCR, western blotting, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, and stereological analysis were employed to dissect the molecular, structural, and neurochemical phenotypes of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) circuits in Df(h15q13)/+ mouse model. Transcriptomic profiling revealed enrichment for astrocyte-specific genes among differentially expressed genes, translated by a decrease in the number of glial fibrillary acidic protein positive cells in mPFC of Df(h15q13)/+ mice compared with wild-type mice. mPFC in Df(h15q13)/+ mice also showed a deficit of the inhibitory presynaptic marker GAD65, in addition to a reduction in dendritic arborization and spine density of pyramidal neurons from layers II/III. mPFC levels of GABA and glutamate neurotransmitters were not different between genotypes. Our results suggest that the 15q13.3 deletion modulates nonneuronal circuits in mPFC and confers molecular and morphometric alterations in the inhibitory and excitatory neurocircuits, respectively. These alterations potentially contribute to the phenotypes accompanied with the 15q13.3DS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdel-Rahman Al-Absi
- Center for Molecular Morphology, Section for Stereology and Microscopy, Center for Stochastic Geometry and Advanced Bioimaging, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Per Qvist
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark.,The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, iPSYCH, 8210 Aarhus, Denmark.,Centre for Integrative Sequencing, iSEQ, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark.,Center for Genomics and Personalized Medicine, CGPM, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Simon Glerup
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Connie Sanchez
- Translational Neuropsychiatry Unit, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Jens R Nyengaard
- Center for Molecular Morphology, Section for Stereology and Microscopy, Center for Stochastic Geometry and Advanced Bioimaging, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
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44
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Tendilla-Beltrán H, Sanchez-Islas NDC, Marina-Ramos M, Leza JC, Flores G. The prefrontal cortex as a target for atypical antipsychotics in schizophrenia, lessons of neurodevelopmental animal models. Prog Neurobiol 2020; 199:101967. [PMID: 33271238 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2020.101967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2020] [Revised: 10/10/2020] [Accepted: 11/22/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Prefrontal cortex (PFC) inflammatory imbalance, oxidative/nitrosative stress (O/NS) and impaired neuroplasticity in schizophrenia are thought to have neurodevelopmental origins. Animal models are not only useful to test this hypothesis, they are also effective to establish a relationship among brain disturbances and behavior with the atypical antipsychotics (AAPs) effects. Here we review data of PFC post-mortem and in vivo neuroimaging, human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC), and peripheral blood studies of inflammatory, O/NS, and neuroplasticity alterations in the disease as well as about their modulation by AAPs. Moreover, we reviewed the PFC alterations and the AAP mechanisms beyond their canonical antipsychotic action in four neurodevelopmental animal models relevant to the study of schizophrenia with a distinct approach in the generation of schizophrenia-like phenotypes, but all converge in O/NS and altered neuroplasticity in the PFC. These animal models not only reinforce the neurodevelopmental risk factor model of schizophrenia but also arouse some novel potential therapeutic targets for the disease including the reestablishment of the antioxidant response by the perineuronal nets (PNNs) and the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor (Nrf2) pathway, as well as the dendritic spine dynamics in the PFC pyramidal cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiram Tendilla-Beltrán
- Instituto de Fisiología, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (BUAP), Puebla, Mexico; Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas (ENCB), Instituto Politécnico Nacional (IPN), CDMX, Mexico
| | | | - Mauricio Marina-Ramos
- Departamento de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Popular Autónoma del Estado de Puebla, Puebla, Mexico
| | - Juan C Leza
- Departamento de Farmacología y Toxicología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Neuroquímica (IUIN), UCM. Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital, 12 de Octubre (Imas12), Madrid, Spain
| | - Gonzalo Flores
- Instituto de Fisiología, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (BUAP), Puebla, Mexico.
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45
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Alteration in the expression of inflammatory cytokines in primary hippocampal astrocytes in response to MK-801 through ERK1/2 and PI3K signals. Cytokine 2020; 138:155366. [PMID: 33187817 DOI: 10.1016/j.cyto.2020.155366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2020] [Revised: 10/19/2020] [Accepted: 11/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Our previous study showed that dizocilpine (MK-801) induced schizophrenia-like behavior in rats, enhanced GFAP expression, and activated primary cultured hippocampal astrocytes. Astrocytes play an essential role in neuroinflammation and contribute to the crosstalk that generates chronic neuro-inflammation in neurological diseases. However, the effects of MK-801 treatment on astrocytic neuroinflammatory responses and its mechanism of action have not been studied in detail. To address this issue, IL1β, IL6, TNFα and IL10 expression and secretion levels were evaluated in hippocampal astrocytes in response to MK-801 for 24 h by ELISA and real-time PCR, with and without pretreatment of either the ERK1/2 inhibitor, PD98059 or the PI3K inhibitor, LY294002. Cell apoptosis, viability, and proliferation were also examined. MK-801 treatment did not induce hippocampal astrocytes apoptosis or proliferation, however, MK-801 enhanced astrocytes viability. Additionally, the expression and secretion levels of IL1β, IL6 and TNFα were elevated, but that of IL10 was decreased, in which ERK1/2 and PI3K signals were involved. These findings suggest that hippocampal astrocytes may regulate the expressions of inflammatory cytokines through ERK1/2 and PI3K signaling pathway to participate in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia.
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46
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Sinha S, Patro N, Tiwari PK, Patro IK. Maternal Spirulina supplementation during pregnancy and lactation partially prevents oxidative stress, glial activation and neuronal damage in protein malnourished F1 progeny. Neurochem Int 2020; 141:104877. [PMID: 33049335 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2020.104877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2020] [Revised: 09/17/2020] [Accepted: 10/06/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Protein malnutrition (PMN) is a global health issue but most prevalent in Africa and Asia. It exerts detrimental effect on structural and physiological aspects of hippocampal circuitry. Despite accumulating evidence for PMN induced changes in nervous system, relatively very little is known about how maternal nutritional supplementation during malnutrition affects glial cells and neurons. Herein, we aimed to investigate the effects of maternal Spirulina supplementation against PMN induced oxidative stress, reactive gliosis and neuronal damage in hippocampus of F1 progeny. Three months old healthy Sprague Dawley females (n = 24) were shifted to normoprotein (NC; 20% protein) and low protein (LP; 8% protein) diets 15 days before conception. The NC and LP group females were subdivided into two groups according to Spirulina supplementation (400 mg/kg/b.wt. orally throughout gestation and lactation period): normal control with Spirulina (NC SPI) and low protein with Spirulina supplemented group (LP SPI). F1 progeny born were used in present study. Thus, building on earlier results of ameliorated neurobehavioral and cognitive abilities in Spirulina supplemented protein deprived rats, the present study incorporates neurochemical and morphometric analysis of glial cells and neurons and revealed that maternal Spirulina consumption partially prevented the PMN associated neuropathological alterations in terms of attenuated oxidative brain damage, reduced reactive gliosis and apoptotic cell population, improved dendritic branch complexity with few damaged neurons and enhanced mushroom shaped spine density. The results suggest that cellular changes in hippocampus after PMN are partially restored after maternal Spirulina supplementation and one could envision intervention approaches using Spirulina against malnutrition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shrstha Sinha
- School of Studies in Neuroscience, Jiwaji University, Gwalior, India; School of Studies in Zoology, Jiwaji University, Gwalior, India
| | - Nisha Patro
- School of Studies in Neuroscience, Jiwaji University, Gwalior, India
| | - P K Tiwari
- School of Studies in Zoology, Jiwaji University, Gwalior, India
| | - Ishan K Patro
- School of Studies in Neuroscience, Jiwaji University, Gwalior, India; School of Studies in Zoology, Jiwaji University, Gwalior, India.
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47
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Purves-Tyson TD, Robinson K, Brown AM, Boerrigter D, Cai HQ, Weissleder C, Owens SJ, Rothmond DA, Shannon Weickert C. Increased Macrophages and C1qA, C3, C4 Transcripts in the Midbrain of People With Schizophrenia. Front Immunol 2020; 11:2002. [PMID: 33133060 PMCID: PMC7550636 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.02002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2020] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Increased cytokine and inflammatory-related transcripts are found in the ventral midbrain, a dopamine neuron-rich region associated with schizophrenia symptoms. In fact, half of schizophrenia cases can be defined as having a "high inflammatory/immune biotype." Recent studies implicate both complement and macrophages in cortical neuroinflammation in schizophrenia. Our aim was to determine whether measures of transcripts related to phagocytosis/macrophages (CD163, CD64, and FN1), or related to macrophage adhesion [intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM1)], or whether CD163+ cell density, as well as protein and/or gene expression of complement pathway activators (C1qA) and mediators (C3 or C4), are increased in the midbrain in schizophrenia, especially in those with a high inflammatory biotype. We investigated whether complement mRNA levels correlate with macrophage and/or microglia and/or astrocyte markers. We found CD163+ cells around blood vessels and in the parenchyma and increases in ICAM1, CD163, CD64, and FN1 mRNAs as well as increases in all complement transcripts in the midbrain of schizophrenia cases with high inflammation. While we found positive correlations between complement transcripts (C1qA and C3) and microglia or astrocyte markers across diagnostic and inflammatory subgroups, the only unique strong positive correlation was between CD163 and C1qA mRNAs in schizophrenia cases with high inflammation. Our study is the first to suggest that more circulating macrophages may be attracted to the midbrain in schizophrenia, and that increased macrophages are linked to increased complement pathway activation in tissue and may contribute to dopamine dysregulation in schizophrenia. Single-cell transcriptomic studies and mechanistic preclinical studies are required to test these possibilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tertia D Purves-Tyson
- Schizophrenia Research Laboratory, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,School of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Kate Robinson
- Schizophrenia Research Laboratory, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Amelia M Brown
- Schizophrenia Research Laboratory, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Danny Boerrigter
- Schizophrenia Research Laboratory, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Helen Q Cai
- Schizophrenia Research Laboratory, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,School of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Christin Weissleder
- Schizophrenia Research Laboratory, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Samantha J Owens
- Schizophrenia Research Laboratory, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Debora A Rothmond
- Schizophrenia Research Laboratory, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Cynthia Shannon Weickert
- Schizophrenia Research Laboratory, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,School of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, United States
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48
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de Souza RF, Augusto RL, de Moraes SRA, de Souza FB, Gonçalves LVDP, Pereira DD, Moreno GMM, de Souza FMA, Andrade-da-Costa BLDS. Ultra-Endurance Associated With Moderate Exercise in Rats Induces Cerebellar Oxidative Stress and Impairs Reactive GFAP Isoform Profile. Front Mol Neurosci 2020; 13:157. [PMID: 32982688 PMCID: PMC7492828 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2020.00157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2019] [Accepted: 07/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Ultra-endurance (UE) race has been associated with brain metabolic changes, but it is still unknown which regions are vulnerable. This study investigated whether high-volume training in rodents, even under moderate intensity, can induce cerebellar oxidative and inflammatory status. Forty-five adult rats were divided into six groups according to a training period, followed or not by an exhaustion test (ET) that simulated UE: control (C), control + ET (C-ET), moderate-volume (MV) training and MV-ET, high-volume training (HV) and HV-ET. The training period was 30 (MV) and 90 (HV) min/day, 5 times/week for 3 months as a continuous running on a treadmill at a maximum velocity of 12 m/min. After 24 h, the ET was performed at 50% maximum velocities up to the animals refused to run, and then serum lactate levels were evaluated. Serum and cerebellar homogenates were obtained 24 h after ET. Serum creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and corticosterone levels were assessed. Lipid peroxidation (LP), nitric oxide (NO), Interleukin 1β (IL-1β), and GFAP proteins, reduced and oxidized glutathione (GSH and GSSG) levels, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities were quantified in the cerebellum. Serum lactate concentrations were lower in MV-ET (∼20%) and HV-ET (∼40%) compared to the C-ET group. CK and corticosterone levels were increased more than ∼ twofold by HV training compared to control. ET increased CK levels in MV-ET vs. MV group (P = 0.026). HV induced higher LP levels (∼40%), but an additive effect of ET was only seen in the MV-ET group (P = 0.02). SOD activity was higher in all trained groups vs. C and C-ET (P < 0.05). CAT activity, however, was intensified only in the MV group (P < 0.02). The 50 kDa GFAP levels were enhanced in C-ET and MV-ET vs. respective controls, while 42 kDa (∼40%) and 39 kDa (∼26%) isoform levels were reduced. In the HV-ET group, the 50 KDa isoform amount was reduced ∼40-60% compared to the other groups and the 39 KDa isoform, increased sevenfold. LDH levels, GSH/GSSG ratio, and NO production were not modified. ET elevated IL-1β levels in the CT and MV groups. Data shows that cerebellar resilience to oxidative damage may be maintained under moderate-volume training, but it is reduced by UE running. High-volume training per se provoked systemic metabolic changes, cerebellar lipid peroxidation, and unbalanced enzymatic antioxidant resource. UE after high-volume training modified the GFAP isoform profile suggesting impaired astrocyte reactivity in the cerebellum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raphael Fabricio de Souza
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Center of Biosciences, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
- Postgraduate Program in Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
- Department of Physical Education, Federal University of Sergipe, São Cristovão, Brazil
- Group of Studies and Research of Performance, Sport, Health and Paralympic Sports – GEPEPS, Federal University of Sergipe, São Cristovão, Brazil
| | - Ricielle Lopes Augusto
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Center of Biosciences, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | - Silvia Regina Arruda de Moraes
- Laboratory of Neuromuscular Plasticity, Department of Anatomy, Center of Biosciences, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | - Fabio Borges de Souza
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Center of Biosciences, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | - Lílian Vanessa da Penha Gonçalves
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Center of Biosciences, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | - Danielle Dutra Pereira
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Center of Biosciences, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | - Gisele Machado Magalhães Moreno
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Center of Biosciences, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | - Fernanda Maria Araujo de Souza
- Laboratory of Neuropharmacology and Integrative Physiology, Center of Biosciences, Federal University of Alagoas, Maceió, Brazil
| | - Belmira Lara da Silveira Andrade-da-Costa
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Center of Biosciences, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
- Postgraduate Program in Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
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49
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Analysis of global gene expression at seven brain regions of patients with schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 2020; 223:119-127. [PMID: 32631700 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2020.06.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2019] [Revised: 04/14/2020] [Accepted: 06/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Previous transcriptome analyses of brain samples provided several insights into the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. In this study, we aimed to re-investigate gene expression datasets from seven brain regions of patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls by adopting a unified approach. After adjustment for confounding factors, we detected gene expression changes in 2 out of 7 brain regions - the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and parietal cortex (PC). We found relatively small effect sizes, not exceeding absolute log fold changes of 1. Gene-set enrichment analysis revealed the following alterations: 1) down-regulation of GABAergic signaling (in DLPFC and PC); 2) up-regulation of interleukin-23 signaling together with up-regulation of transcription mediated by RUNX1 and RUNX3 as well as down-regulation of RUNX2 signaling (in DLPFC) and 3) up-regulation of genes associated with responses to metal ions and RUNX1 signaling (PC). The number of neurons was significantly lower and the number of astrocytes was significantly higher at both brain regions. In turn, the index of microglia was increased in DLPFC and decreased in PC. Finally, our unsupervised analysis demonstrated that cellular composition of the samples was a major confounding factor in the analysis of gene expression across all datasets. In conclusion, our analysis provides further evidence that small but significant changes in the expression of genes related to GABAergic signaling, brain development, neuroinflammation and responses to metal ions might be involved in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Cell sorting techniques need to be used by future studies to dissect the effect of cellular content.
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50
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Regional, cellular and species difference of two key neuroinflammatory genes implicated in schizophrenia. Brain Behav Immun 2020; 88:826-839. [PMID: 32450195 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2020.05.055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2020] [Revised: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The transcription factor nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) regulates the expression of many inflammatory genes that are overexpressed in a subset of people with schizophrenia. Transcriptional reduction in one NF-κB inhibitor, Human Immunodeficiency Virus Enhancer Binding Protein 2 (HIVEP2), is found in the brain of patients, aligning with evidence of NF-κB over-activity. Cellular co-expression of HIVEP2 and cytokine transcripts is a prerequisite for a direct effect of HIVEP2 on pro-inflammatory transcription, and we do not know if changes in HIVEP2 and markers of neuroinflammation are occurring in the same brain cell type. We performed in situ hybridisation on postmortem dorsolateral prefrontal cortex tissue to map and compare the expression of HIVEP2 and Serpin Family A Member 3 (SERPINA3), one of the most consistently increased inflammatory genes in schizophrenia, between schizophrenia patients and controls. We find that HIVEP2 expression is neuronal and is decreased in almost all grey matter cortical layers in schizophrenia patients with neuroinflammation, and that SERPINA3 is increased in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex grey matter and white matter in the same group of patients. We are the first to map the upregulation of SERPINA3 to astrocytes and to some neurons, and find evidence to suggest that blood vessel-associated astrocytes are the main cellular source of SERPINA3 in the schizophrenia cortex. We show that a lack of HIVEP2 in mice does not cause astrocytic upregulation of Serpina3n but does induce its transcription in neurons. We speculate that HIVEP2 downregulation is not a direct cause of astrocytic pro-inflammatory cytokine synthesis in schizophrenia but may contribute to neuronally-mediated neuroinflammation.
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