Antipsychotics preserve telomere length in peripheral blood mononuclear cells after acute oxidative stress injury

Methamphetamine use shortens telomere length in male adults and rats

BACKGROUND

Methamphetamine (MA) use increases the risk of age-related diseases. However, it remains uncertain whether MA use exhibits accelerated biological aging, as indicated by telomere length (TL), a proposed marker of aging. Here we conducted studies in both humans and rats to investigate the association between MA use and TL.

METHODS

We recruited 125 male MA users and 66 healthy controls, aged 30-40 years. MA users were diagnosed using DSM-5 criteria and categorized into two groups: non-severe (n = 78) and severe (n = 47) MA use disorder (MUD). MA-treated conditioned place preference (CPP) rats were utilized to validate our clinical investigations. TL was assessed using real-time polymerase chain reaction.

RESULTS

At clinical levels, MA users exhibited significantly shorter leukocyte TL compared to healthy controls. Among MA users, individuals with severe MUD had significantly shorter leukocyte TL than those with non-severe MUD. Importantly, both univariate and multivariate linear regression analyses demonstrated a negative association between the severity of MA use and leukocyte TL. In a rat model of MA-induced CPP, leukocyte TL was also significantly shortened after MA administration, especially in rats with higher CPP expression or reinstatement scores.

CONCLUSION

MA use shortened TL, and the severity of MA use was negatively correlated with TL. These findings provide new insights into the pathophysiology of accelerated aging caused by MA use and may have implications for identifying biomarkers and developing novel treatment strategies for MUD.

Relation of ATPase6 Mutations and Telomere Length in Schizophrenia Patients

Objective

Schizophrenia is a serious mental disorder. Mutations in mitochondrial genes can change energy metabolism. Telomere is a tandem sequence at the end of chromosomes. Shorter telomere length has been shown in schizophrenia. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between ATPase6 gene mutations and telomere length in schizophrenia patients.

Methods

Blood samples of 34 patients and 34 healthy controls were used. In this study conventional PCR, Sanger sequencing technic and real-time PCR were utilized.

Results

Five different mutations (A8860G, A8836, G8697A, C8676T, and A8701G) in the ATPase6 gene were identified in schizophrenia patients. The most seen mutation was A8860G (94%). Telomere length analysis indicated the relation of ATPase6 gene mutations and telomere length variations (p = 0.001). Patients carrying the A8860G mutation had shorter telomere lengths than patients carrying other mutations. Comparing telomere length between schizophrenia patients and healthy controls revealed that the mean telomere length of schizophrenia patients was shorter than healthy controls (p = 0.006). The demographic analysis demonstrated a significant relationship between marital status and telomere length (p = 0.011). Besides that, the duration of the illness is another factor that impacts telomere length (p = 0.044). There is no significant relation between telomere length and other clinical and demographic characteristics including education status, age, gender, etc.

Conclusion

In conclusion, telomere length and ATPase6 gene mutations have a significant relation. Studies with larger patient populations and investigation of other mitochondrial gene mutations will make the clearer link between telomere length and mitochondrial mutations.