Abdelfattah AM, Abuelezz SA, Hendawy N, Negm EA, Nawishy SAEK, Khalil AMM. Sonic hedgehog pathway as a new target of atypical antipsychotics: Revisiting of amisulpride and aripiprazole effects in a rat model of schizophrenia.
Life Sci 2023;
316:121366. [PMID:
36649751 DOI:
10.1016/j.lfs.2022.121366]
[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: 10/12/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/31/2022] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES
Schizophrenia is a chronic mental illness presented by cognitive deficits that precede its positive and negative symptoms. Sonic hedgehog (Shh)-pathway contributes to its pathophysiology. Shh has a role in neurogenesis as it regulates proliferation and survival of neural cells. In this study, effects of the anti-psychotics Amisulpride and/or Aripiprazole on the Shh-pathway and its relation to cognitive functions and neurogenesis in a rat model of schizophrenia were tested.
METHODS
60 male Wistar rats were allocated into the following groups: control, socially isolated, amisulpride and/or aripiprazole-treated groups. Rats were then subjected to behavioral, biochemical, and histopathological tests to assess the impact of these drugs on Shh-pathway.
KEY FINDINGS
Cognitive-dysfunction was evidenced in socially isolated group in novel object, three-chamber, and Morris water maze tests, associated by disorganised Shh-pathway proteins levels concentrations, increased glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)-stained astrocytes. Treated groups favorably reversed these changes evidenced by increased Shh, transmembrane patched-1 and smoothened, glioma-associated-oncogene (GLI)-1 levels, dopamine-1 receptors and brain derived neurotrophic factor, and decreased GLI-3 protein, GFAP immune reaction in astrocytes and inflammatory markers compared to socially isolated group.
CONCLUSION
Amisulpride and/or aripiprazole have a favorable role in turning on Shh-pathway with subsequent beneficial cognitive and neurogenesis effects.
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