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Holmgren A, Akkouh I, O'Connell KS, Osete JR, Bjørnstad PM, Djurovic S, Hughes T. Bipolar patients display stoichiometric imbalance of gene expression in post-mortem brain samples. Mol Psychiatry 2024; 29:1128-1138. [PMID: 38351171 PMCID: PMC11176081 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02398-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/19/2024]
Abstract
Bipolar disorder is a severe neuro-psychiatric condition where genome-wide association and sequencing studies have pointed to dysregulated gene expression as likely to be causal. We observed strong correlation in expression between GWAS-associated genes and hypothesised that healthy function depends on balance in the relative expression levels of the associated genes and that patients display stoichiometric imbalance. We developed a method for quantifying stoichiometric imbalance and used this to predict each sample's diagnosis probability in four cortical brain RNAseq datasets. The percentage of phenotypic variance on the liability-scale explained by these probabilities ranged from 10.0 to 17.4% (AUC: 69.4-76.4%) which is a multiple of the classification performance achieved using absolute expression levels or GWAS-based polygenic risk scores. Most patients display stoichiometric imbalance in three to ten genes, suggesting that dysregulation of only a small fraction of associated genes can trigger the disorder, with the identity of these genes varying between individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asbjørn Holmgren
- Department of Medical Genetics, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Ibrahim Akkouh
- Department of Medical Genetics, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Kevin Sean O'Connell
- Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Jordi Requena Osete
- Department of Medical Genetics, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Srdjan Djurovic
- Department of Medical Genetics, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- NORMENT, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Timothy Hughes
- Department of Medical Genetics, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
- Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
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2
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Truong TT, Bortolasci CC, Kidnapillai S, Spolding B, Panizzutti B, Liu ZS, Watmuff B, Kim JH, Dean OM, Richardson M, Berk M, Walder K. Common effects of bipolar disorder medications on expression quantitative trait loci genes. J Psychiatr Res 2022; 150:105-112. [PMID: 35366598 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2022.03.025] [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: 12/14/2021] [Revised: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
The molecular mechanism(s) underpinning the clinical efficacy of the current drugs for bipolar disorder (BD) are largely unknown. This study evaluated the transcriptional perturbations potentially playing roles in the therapeutic efficacy of four commonly prescribed psychotropic drugs used to treat BD. NT2-N cells were treated with lamotrigine, lithium, quetiapine, valproate or vehicle control for 24 h. Genome-wide mRNA expression was quantified by RNA-sequencing. Incorporating drug-induced gene expression profiles with BD-associated transcriptional changes from post-mortem brains, we identified potential therapeutic-relevant genes associated with both drug treatments and BD pathophysiology and focused on expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) genes with genome-wide association with BD. Each eQTL gene was ranked based on its potential role in the therapeutic effect across multiple drugs. The expression of highest-ranked eQTL genes were measured by RT-qPCR to confirm their transcriptional changes observed in RNA-seq. We found 775 genes for which at least 2 drugs reversed expression levels relative to the differential expression in post-mortem brains. Pathway analysis identified enriched biological processes highlighting mitochondrial and endoplasmic reticulum function. Differential expression of SRPK2 and CHDH was confirmed by RT-qPCR following multiple-dose treatments. We pinpointed potential genes involved in the beneficial effects of drugs used for BD and their main associated biological pathways. CHDH, which encodes a mitochondrial protein, had a significant dose-responsive downregulation following treatment with increasing doses of quetiapine and lamotrigine, which in combination with the enriched mitochondrial pathways suggests potential therapeutic roles and demand more studies on mitochondrial involvement in BD to identify novel treatment targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trang Tt Truong
- Deakin University, IMPACT, The Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, School of Medicine, Geelong, Australia.
| | - Chiara C Bortolasci
- Deakin University, IMPACT, The Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, School of Medicine, Geelong, Australia
| | - Srisaiyini Kidnapillai
- Deakin University, IMPACT, The Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, School of Medicine, Geelong, Australia
| | - Briana Spolding
- Deakin University, IMPACT, The Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, School of Medicine, Geelong, Australia
| | - Bruna Panizzutti
- Deakin University, IMPACT, The Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, School of Medicine, Geelong, Australia
| | - Zoe Sj Liu
- Deakin University, IMPACT, The Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, School of Medicine, Geelong, Australia
| | - Brad Watmuff
- Deakin University, IMPACT, The Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, School of Medicine, Geelong, Australia
| | - Jee Hyun Kim
- Deakin University, IMPACT, The Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, School of Medicine, Geelong, Australia; Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Australia
| | - Olivia M Dean
- Deakin University, IMPACT, The Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, School of Medicine, Geelong, Australia; Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Australia
| | - Mark Richardson
- Bioinformatics Core Research Facility (BCRF), Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
| | - Michael Berk
- Deakin University, IMPACT, The Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, School of Medicine, Geelong, Australia; Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Australia
| | - Ken Walder
- Deakin University, IMPACT, The Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, School of Medicine, Geelong, Australia
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Krull F, Akkouh I, Hughes T, Bettella F, Athanasiu L, Smeland OB, O'Connell KS, Brattbakk HR, Steen VM, Steen NE, Djurovic S, Andreassen OA. Dose-dependent transcriptional effects of lithium and adverse effect burden in a psychiatric cohort. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2022; 112:110408. [PMID: 34320404 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2021.110408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2021] [Revised: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Lithium is the first-line treatment for bipolar disorder (BD), but there is a large variation in response rate and adverse effects. Although the molecular effects of lithium have been studied extensively, the specific mechanisms of action remain unclear. In particular, the molecular changes underlying lithium adverse effects are little known. Multiple linear regression analyses of lithium serum concentrations and global gene expression levels in whole blood were carried out using a large case-control sample (n = 1450). Self-reported adverse effects of lithium were assessed with the "Udvalg for Kliniske Undersøgelser" (UKU) adverse effect rating scale, and regression analysis was used to identify significant associations between lithium-related genes and six of the most common adverse effects. Serum concentrations of lithium were significantly associated with the expression levels of 52 genes (FDR < 0.01), largely replicating previous results. We found 32 up-regulated genes and 20 down-regulated genes in lithium users compared to non-users. The down-regulated gene set was enriched for several processes related to the translational machinery. Two adverse effects were significantly associated (p < 0.01) with three or more lithium-associated genes: tremor (FAM13A-AS1, FAR2, ITGAX, RWDD1, and STARD10) and xerostomia (ANKRD13A, FAR2, RPS8, and RWDD1). The adverse effect association with the largest effect was between CAMK1D expression and nausea/vomiting. These results suggest putative transcriptional mechanisms that may predict lithium adverse effects, and could thus have a large potential for informing clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Krull
- NORMENT, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
| | - Ibrahim Akkouh
- NORMENT, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Department of Medical Genetics, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Timothy Hughes
- Department of Medical Genetics, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Francesco Bettella
- NORMENT, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Lavinia Athanasiu
- NORMENT, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Olav B Smeland
- NORMENT, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Kevin S O'Connell
- NORMENT, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Vidar M Steen
- NORMENT, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Nils Eiel Steen
- NORMENT, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Srdjan Djurovic
- Department of Medical Genetics, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway; NORMENT, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Ole A Andreassen
- NORMENT, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
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Exploring lithium's transcriptional mechanisms of action in bipolar disorder: a multi-step study. Neuropsychopharmacology 2020; 45:947-955. [PMID: 31652432 PMCID: PMC7162887 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-019-0556-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2019] [Revised: 10/01/2019] [Accepted: 10/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Lithium has been the first-line treatment for bipolar disorder (BD) for more than six decades. Although the molecular effects of lithium have been studied extensively and gene expression changes are generally believed to be involved, the specific mechanisms of action that mediate mood regulation are still not known. In this study, a multi-step approach was used to explore the transcriptional changes that may underlie lithium's therapeutic efficacy. First, we identified genes that are associated both with lithium exposure and with BD, and second, we performed differential expression analysis of these genes in brain tissue samples from BD patients (n = 42) and healthy controls (n = 42). To identify genes that are regulated by lithium exposure, we used high-sensitivity RNA-sequencing of corpus callosum (CC) tissue samples from lithium-treated (n = 8) and non-treated (n = 9) rats. We found that lithium exposure significantly affected 1108 genes (FDR < 0.05), 702 up-regulated and 406 down-regulated. These genes were mostly enriched for molecular functions related to signal transduction, including well-established lithium-related pathways such as mTOR and Wnt signaling. To identify genes with differential expression in BD, we performed expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) analysis on BD-associated genetic variants from the most recent genome-wide association study (GWAS) using three different gene expression databases. We found 307 unique eQTL genes regulated by BD-associated variants, of which 12 were also significantly modulated by lithium treatment in rats. Two of these showed differential expression in the CC of BD cases: RPS23 was significantly down-regulated (p = 0.0036, fc = 0.80), while GRIN2A showed suggestive evidence of down-regulation in BD (p = 0.056, fc = 0.65). Crucially, GRIN2A was also significantly up-regulated by lithium in the rat brains (p = 2.2e-5, fc = 1.6), which suggests that modulation of GRIN2A expression may be a part of the therapeutic effect of the drug. These results indicate that the recent upsurge in research on this central component of the glutamatergic system, as a target of novel therapeutic agents for affective disorders, is warranted and should be intensified.
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Lithium alters expression of RNAs in a type-specific manner in differentiated human neuroblastoma neuronal cultures, including specific genes involved in Alzheimer's disease. Sci Rep 2019; 9:18261. [PMID: 31797941 PMCID: PMC6892907 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-54076-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2019] [Accepted: 11/08/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Lithium (Li) is a medication long-used to treat bipolar disorder. It is currently under investigation for multiple nervous system disorders, including Alzheimer's disease (AD). While perturbation of RNA levels by Li has been previously reported, its effects on the whole transcriptome has been given little attention. We, therefore, sought to determine comprehensive effects of Li treatment on RNA levels. We cultured and differentiated human neuroblastoma (SK-N-SH) cells to neuronal cells with all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA). We exposed cultures for one week to lithium chloride or distilled water, extracted total RNA, depleted ribosomal RNA and performed whole-transcriptome RT-sequencing. We analyzed results by RNA length and type. We further analyzed expression and protein interaction networks between selected Li-altered protein-coding RNAs and common AD-associated gene products. Lithium changed expression of RNAs in both non-specific (inverse to sequence length) and specific (according to RNA type) fashions. The non-coding small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) were subject to the greatest length-adjusted Li influence. When RNA length effects were taken into account, microRNAs as a group were significantly less likely to have had levels altered by Li treatment. Notably, several Li-influenced protein-coding RNAs were co-expressed or produced proteins that interacted with several common AD-associated genes and proteins. Lithium's modification of RNA levels depends on both RNA length and type. Li activity on snoRNA levels may pertain to bipolar disorders while Li modification of protein coding RNAs may be relevant to AD.
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6
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Plant N. Can a systems approach produce a better understanding of mood disorders? Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2016; 1861:3335-3344. [PMID: 27565355 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2016.08.016] [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: 02/17/2016] [Revised: 07/29/2016] [Accepted: 08/22/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND One in twenty-five people suffer from a mood disorder. Current treatments are sub-optimal with poor patient response and uncertain modes-of-action. There is thus a need to better understand underlying mechanisms that determine mood, and how these go wrong in affective disorders. Systems biology approaches have yielded important biological discoveries for other complex diseases such as cancer, and their potential in affective disorders will be reviewed. SCOPE OF REVIEW This review will provide a general background to affective disorders, plus an outline of experimental and computational systems biology. The current application of these approaches in understanding affective disorders will be considered, and future recommendations made. MAJOR CONCLUSIONS Experimental systems biology has been applied to the study of affective disorders, especially at the genome and transcriptomic levels. However, data generation has been slowed by a lack of human tissue or suitable animal models. At present, computational systems biology has only be applied to understanding affective disorders on a few occasions. These studies provide sufficient novel biological insight to motivate further use of computational biology in this field. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE In common with many complex diseases much time and money has been spent on the generation of large-scale experimental datasets. The next step is to use the emerging computational approaches, predominantly developed in the field of oncology, to leverage the most biological insight from these datasets. This will lead to the critical breakthroughs required for more effective diagnosis, stratification and treatment of affective disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nick Plant
- School of Bioscience and Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Science, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, UK.
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7
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Tariq N, Estemalik E, Vij B, Kriegler JS, Tepper SJ, Stillman MJ. Long-Term Outcomes and Clinical Characteristics of Hypnic Headache Syndrome: 40 Patients Series From a Tertiary Referral Center. Headache 2016; 56:717-24. [DOI: 10.1111/head.12796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Nauman Tariq
- Michigan Headache & Neurological Institute; Ann Arbor MI USA (N. Tariq); the Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA (E. Estemalik, B. Vij, J.S. Kriegler, M.J. Stillman); Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH, USA (S.J. Tepper)
| | - Emad Estemalik
- Michigan Headache & Neurological Institute; Ann Arbor MI USA (N. Tariq); the Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA (E. Estemalik, B. Vij, J.S. Kriegler, M.J. Stillman); Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH, USA (S.J. Tepper)
| | - Brinder Vij
- Michigan Headache & Neurological Institute; Ann Arbor MI USA (N. Tariq); the Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA (E. Estemalik, B. Vij, J.S. Kriegler, M.J. Stillman); Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH, USA (S.J. Tepper)
| | - Jennifer S. Kriegler
- Michigan Headache & Neurological Institute; Ann Arbor MI USA (N. Tariq); the Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA (E. Estemalik, B. Vij, J.S. Kriegler, M.J. Stillman); Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH, USA (S.J. Tepper)
| | - Stewart J. Tepper
- Michigan Headache & Neurological Institute; Ann Arbor MI USA (N. Tariq); the Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA (E. Estemalik, B. Vij, J.S. Kriegler, M.J. Stillman); Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH, USA (S.J. Tepper)
| | - Mark J. Stillman
- Michigan Headache & Neurological Institute; Ann Arbor MI USA (N. Tariq); the Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA (E. Estemalik, B. Vij, J.S. Kriegler, M.J. Stillman); Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH, USA (S.J. Tepper)
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8
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Lithium in the treatment of bipolar disorder: pharmacology and pharmacogenetics. Mol Psychiatry 2015; 20:661-70. [PMID: 25687772 PMCID: PMC5125816 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2015.4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 204] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2014] [Revised: 11/22/2014] [Accepted: 12/19/2014] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
After decades of research, the mechanism of action of lithium in preventing recurrences of bipolar disorder remains only partially understood. Lithium research is complicated by the absence of suitable animal models of bipolar disorder and by having to rely on in vitro studies of peripheral tissues. A number of distinct hypotheses emerged over the years, but none has been conclusively supported or rejected. The common theme emerging from pharmacological and genetic studies is that lithium affects multiple steps in cellular signaling, usually enhancing basal and inhibiting stimulated activities. Some of the key nodes of these regulatory networks include GSK3 (glycogen synthase kinase 3), CREB (cAMP response element-binding protein) and Na(+)-K(+) ATPase. Genetic and pharmacogenetic studies are starting to generate promising findings, but remain limited by small sample sizes. As full responders to lithium seem to represent a unique clinical population, there is inherent value and need for studies of lithium responders. Such studies will be an opportunity to uncover specific effects of lithium in those individuals who clearly benefit from the treatment.
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9
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Effects of lithium on cortical thickness and hippocampal subfield volumes in psychotic bipolar disorder. J Psychiatr Res 2015; 61:180-7. [PMID: 25563516 PMCID: PMC4859940 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2014.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2014] [Revised: 11/19/2014] [Accepted: 12/11/2014] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Relative to healthy controls, lithium free bipolar patients exhibit significant gray matter abnormalities. Lithium, the long-time reference standard medication treatment for bipolar disorder, has been proposed to be neuro-protective against these abnormalities. However, its effects on cortical thickness and hippocampal subfield (HSF) volumes remain unstudied and unclear, respectively, in bipolar disorder. This study included 342 healthy controls (HC), 51 lithium free PBD patients (NoLi), and 51 PBD patients taking lithium (Li). Regional gray matter thickness and HSF volume values were extracted from 3T MRI images. After matching NoLi and Li samples, regions where HC differed from either Li or NoLi were identified. In regions of significant or trending HC-NoLi difference, Li-NoLi comparisons were made. No significant HC-Li thickness or HSF volume differences were found. Significantly thinner occipital cortices were observed in NoLi compared to HC. In these regions, Li consistently exhibited non-significant trends for greater cortical thickness relative to NoLi. Significantly less volume was observed in NoLi compared to both HC and Li in right HSFs. Our results suggest that PBD in patients not treated with Li is associated with thinner occipital cortices and reduced HSF volumes compared with HC. Patients treated with Li exhibited significantly larger HSF volumes than NoLi, and those treated with Li were no different from HC in cortical thickness or hippocampal volumes. This evidence directly supports the hypothesis that Li may counteract the locally thinner and smaller gray matter structure found in PBD.
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10
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The neurobiology of bipolar disorder: identifying targets for specific agents and synergies for combination treatment. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2014; 17:1039-52. [PMID: 23449044 DOI: 10.1017/s1461145713000096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Bipolar disorder (BD) is a chronic psychiatric illness described by severe changes in mood. Extensive research has been carried out to understand the aetiology and pathophysiology of BD. Several hypotheses have been postulated, including alteration in genetic factors, protein expression, calcium signalling, neuropathological alteration, mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress in BD. In the following paper, we will attempt to integrate these data in a manner which is to understand targets of treatment and how they may be, in particular, relevant to combination treatment. In summary, the data suggested that BD might be associated with neuronal and glial cellular impairment in specific brain areas, including the prefrontal cortex. From molecular and genetics: (1) alterations in dopaminergic system, through catechol-O-aminotransferase; (2) decreased expression and polymorphism on brain-derived neurotrophic factor; (3) alterations cyclic-AMP responsive element binding; (4) dysregulation of calcium signalling, including genome-wide finding for voltage-dependent calcium channel α-1 subunit are relevant findings in BD. Future studies are now necessary to understand how these molecular pathways interact and their connection to the complex clinical manifestations observed in BD.
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11
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Can A, Schulze TG, Gould TD. Molecular actions and clinical pharmacogenetics of lithium therapy. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2014; 123:3-16. [PMID: 24534415 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2014.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2013] [Revised: 02/04/2014] [Accepted: 02/05/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Mood disorders, including bipolar disorder and depression, are relatively common human diseases for which pharmacological treatment options are often not optimal. Among existing pharmacological agents and mood stabilizers used for the treatment of mood disorders, lithium has a unique clinical profile. Lithium has efficacy in the treatment of bipolar disorder generally, and in particular mania, while also being useful in the adjunct treatment of refractory depression. In addition to antimanic and adjunct antidepressant efficacy, lithium is also proven effective in the reduction of suicide and suicidal behaviors. However, only a subset of patients manifests beneficial responses to lithium therapy and the underlying genetic factors of response are not exactly known. Here we discuss preclinical research suggesting mechanisms likely to underlie lithium's therapeutic actions including direct targets inositol monophosphatase and glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3) among others, as well as indirect actions including modulation of neurotrophic and neurotransmitter systems and circadian function. We follow with a discussion of current knowledge related to the pharmacogenetic underpinnings of effective lithium therapy in patients within this context. Progress in elucidation of genetic factors that may be involved in human response to lithium pharmacology has been slow, and there is still limited conclusive evidence for the role of a particular genetic factor. However, the development of new approaches such as genome-wide association studies (GWAS), and increased use of genetic testing and improved identification of mood disorder patients sub-groups will lead to improved elucidation of relevant genetic factors in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adem Can
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Thomas G Schulze
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Todd D Gould
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States; Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States; Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.
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12
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Toker L, Bersudsky Y, Plaschkes I, Chalifa-Caspi V, Berry GT, Buccafusca R, Moechars D, Belmaker RH, Agam G. Inositol-related gene knockouts mimic lithium's effect on mitochondrial function. Neuropsychopharmacology 2014; 39:319-28. [PMID: 23924600 PMCID: PMC3870788 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2013.194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2013] [Revised: 07/17/2013] [Accepted: 07/18/2013] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
The inositol-depletion hypothesis proposes that lithium attenuates phosphatidylinositol signaling. Knockout (KO) mice of two genes (IMPA1 or Slc5a3), each encoding for a protein related to inositol metabolism, were studied in comparison with lithium-treated mice. Since we previously demonstrated that these KO mice exhibit a lithium-like neurochemical and behavioral phenotype, here we searched for pathways that may mediate lithium's/the KO effects. We performed a DNA-microarray study searching for pathways affected both by chronic lithium treatment and by the KO of each of the genes. The data were analyzed using three different bioinformatics approaches. We found upregulation of mitochondria-related genes in frontal cortex of lithium-treated, IMPA1 and Slc5a3 KO mice. Three out of seven genes differentially expressed in all three models, Cox5a, Ndufs7, and Ndufab, all members of the mitochondrial electron transfer chain, have previously been associated with bipolar disorder and/or lithium treatment. Upregulation of the expression of these genes was verified by real-time PCR. To further support the link between mitochondrial function and lithium's effect on behavior, we determined the capacity of chronic low-dose rotenone, a mitochondrial respiratory chain complex I inhibitor, to alter lithium-induced behavior as measured by the forced-swim and the amphetamine-induced hyperlocomotion paradigms. Rontenone treatment counteracted lithium's effect on behavior, supporting the proposition suggested by the bioinformatics analysis for a mitochondrial function involvement in behavioral effects of lithium mediated by inositol metabolism alterations.The results provide support for the notion that mitochondrial dysfunction is linked to bipolar disorder and can be ameliorated by lithium. The phenotypic similarities between lithium-treated wild-type mice and the two KO models suggest that lithium may affect behavior by altering inositol metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lilach Toker
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel,Psychiatry Research Unit, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel,Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Yuly Bersudsky
- Psychiatry Research Unit, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel,Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel,Mental Health Center, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Inbar Plaschkes
- National Institute for Biotechnology in the Negev (NIBN), Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Vered Chalifa-Caspi
- National Institute for Biotechnology in the Negev (NIBN), Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Gerard T Berry
- Metabolism Program Division of Genetics, Children's Hospital Boston, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Roberto Buccafusca
- Metabolism Program Division of Genetics, Children's Hospital Boston, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Dieder Moechars
- Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research and Development, Beerse, Belgium
| | - R H Belmaker
- Psychiatry Research Unit, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel,Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel,Mental Health Center, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Galila Agam
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel,Psychiatry Research Unit, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel,Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel,Division of Basic Sciences, Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Pharmacology, and Psychiatry Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and Mental Health Center, PO Box 4600, Beer-Sheva 84170, Israel, Tel: +972 8640 1737, E-mail:
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Wouters J, Grepioni F, Braga D, Kaminski RM, Rome S, Aerts L, Quéré L. Novel pharmaceutical compositions through co-crystallization of racetams and Li+ salts. CrystEngComm 2013. [DOI: 10.1039/c3ce41539b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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