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Kang DW, Wang SM, Um YH, Kim S, Kim T, Kim D, Lee CU, Lim HK. Impact of transcranial direct current stimulation on white matter microstructure integrity in mild cognitive impairment patients according to effect modifiers as risk factors for Alzheimer's disease. Front Aging Neurosci 2023; 15:1234086. [PMID: 37744398 PMCID: PMC10517264 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2023.1234086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Little research exists on how individual risk factors for Alzheimer's disease (AD) affect the intermediate phenotype after transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), despite the importance of precision medicine-based therapeutic approaches. Objective To determine how an application of sequential tDCS (2 mA/day, left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, 10 sessions) affects changes in white matter (WM) microstructure integrity in 63 mild cognitive impairment (MCI) patients with effect modifiers such as Aβ deposition, APOE ε4 carrier status, BDNF Val66Met polymorphism status, and sex. Methods We examined individual effect modifier-by-tDCS interactions and multiple effect modifiers-by-tDCS interactions for diffusion metrics. We also evaluated the association between baseline Aβ deposition and changes in WM microstructure integrity following tDCS. Results We found that APOE ε4 carrier status and sex had a significant interaction with tDCS, resulting in increased fractional anisotropy (FA) in the right uncinate fasciculus (UF) after stimulation. Additionally, we observed multiple effect modifiers-by-tDCS interactions on WM integrity of the right UF, leading to a more pronounced increase in FA values in APOE ε4 carriers and females with Val66 homozygotes. Finally, baseline Aβ deposition was positively associated with a difference in FA of the left cingulum in the hippocampal area, which showed a positive association with the changes in the score for delayed memory. Conclusion Our study shows the differential impact of individual AD risk factors on changes in the early intermediate phenotype after sequential tDCS in MCI patients. This research emphasizes the importance of precision medicine approaches in tDCS for the prodromal stages of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong Woo Kang
- Department of Psychiatry, Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sheng-Min Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, Yeouido St. Mary’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Yoo Hyun Um
- Department of Psychiatry, St. Vincent’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sunghwan Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Yeouido St. Mary’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - TaeYeong Kim
- Research Institute, NEUROPHET Inc., Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Donghyeon Kim
- Research Institute, NEUROPHET Inc., Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Chang Uk Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun Kook Lim
- Department of Psychiatry, Yeouido St. Mary’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Research Institute, NEUROPHET Inc., Seoul, Republic of Korea
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Barha CK, Starkey SY, Hsiung GYR, Tam R, Liu-Ambrose T. Aerobic exercise improves executive functions in females, but not males, without the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism. Biol Sex Differ 2023; 14:16. [PMID: 37013586 PMCID: PMC10069071 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-023-00499-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Aerobic exercise promotes cognitive function in older adults; however, variability exists in the degree of benefit. The brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) Val66Met polymorphism and biological sex are biological factors that have been proposed as important modifiers of exercise efficacy. Therefore, we assessed whether the effect of aerobic exercise on executive functions was dependent on the BDNFval66met genotype and biological sex. METHODS We used data from a single-blind randomized controlled trial in older adults with subcortical ischemic vascular cognitive impairment (NCT01027858). Fifty-eight older adults were randomly assigned to either the 6 months, three times per week progressive aerobic training (AT) group or the usual care plus education control (CON) group. The secondary aim of the parent study included executive functions which were assessed with the Trail Making Test (B-A) and the Digit Symbol Substitution Test at baseline and trial completion at 6 months. RESULTS Analysis of covariance, controlling for baseline global cognition and baseline executive functions performance (Trail Making Test or Digit Symbol Substitution Test), tested the three-way interaction between experimental group (AT, CON), BDNFval66met genotype (Val/Val carrier, Met carrier), and biological sex (female, male). Significant three-way interactions were found for the Trail Making Test (F(1,48) = 4.412, p < 0.04) and Digit Symbol Substitution Test (F(1,47) = 10.833, p < 0.002). Posthoc analyses showed female Val/Val carriers benefited the most from 6 months of AT compared with CON for Trail Making Test and Digit Symbol Substitution Test performance. Compared with CON, AT did not improve Trail Making Test performance in male Val/Val carriers or Digit Symbol Substitution Test performance in female Met carriers. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that future randomized controlled trials should take into consideration BDNF genotype and biological sex to better understand the beneficial effects of AT on cognitive function in vascular cognitive impairment to maximize the beneficial effects of exercise and help establish exercise as medicine for cognitive health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cindy K Barha
- Aging, Mobility, and Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, Department of Physical Therapy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health C/O Liu-Ambrose Lab, 2215 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 2B5, Canada
- Centre for Hip Health and Mobility, Vancouver, Canada
- Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Samantha Y Starkey
- Aging, Mobility, and Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, Department of Physical Therapy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- Centre for Hip Health and Mobility, Vancouver, Canada
- Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - G Y Robin Hsiung
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health C/O Liu-Ambrose Lab, 2215 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 2B5, Canada
- Division of Neurology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute and University of British Columbia Hospital Clinic for Alzheimer Disease and Related Disorders, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Roger Tam
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health C/O Liu-Ambrose Lab, 2215 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 2B5, Canada
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Teresa Liu-Ambrose
- Aging, Mobility, and Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, Department of Physical Therapy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health C/O Liu-Ambrose Lab, 2215 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 2B5, Canada.
- Centre for Hip Health and Mobility, Vancouver, Canada.
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Musazzi L, Tornese P, Sala N, Lee FS, Popoli M, Ieraci A. Acute stress induces an aberrant increase of presynaptic release of glutamate and cellular activation in the hippocampus of BDNF Val/Met mice. J Cell Physiol 2022; 237:3834-3844. [PMID: 35908196 PMCID: PMC9796250 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.30833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Stressful life events are considered major risk factors for the development of several psychiatric disorders, though people differentially cope with stress. The reasons for this are still largely unknown but could be accounted for by individual genetic variants, previous life events, or the kind of stressors. The human brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) Val66Met variant, which was found to impair intracellular trafficking and activity-dependent secretion of BDNF, has been associated with increased susceptibility to develop several neuropsychiatric disorders, although there is still some controversial evidence. On the other hand, acute stress has been consistently demonstrated to promote the release of glutamate in cortico-limbic regions and altered glutamatergic transmission has been reported in psychiatric disorders. However, it is not known if the BDNF Val66Met single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) affects the stress-induced presynaptic glutamate release. In this study, we exposed adult male BDNFVal/Val and BDNFVal/Met knock-in mice to 30 min of acute restraint stress. Plasma corticosterone levels, glutamate release, protein, and gene expression in the hippocampus were analyzed immediately after the end of the stress session. Acute restraint stress similarly increased plasma corticosterone levels and nuclear glucocorticoid receptor levels and phosphorylation in both BDNFVal/Val and BDNFVal/Met mice. However, acute restraint stress induced higher increases in hippocampal presynaptic release of glutamate, phosphorylation of cAMP-response element binding protein (CREB), and levels of the immediate early gene c-fos of BDNFVal/Met compared to BFNFVal/Val mice. Moreover, acute restraint stress selectively increased phosphorylation levels of synapsin I at Ser9 and at Ser603 in BDNFVal/Val and BDNFVal/Met mice, respectively. In conclusion, we report here that the BDNF Val66Met SNP knock-in mice display an altered response to acute restraint stress in terms of hippocampal glutamate release, CREB phosphorylation, and neuronal activation, compared to wild-type animals. Taken together, these results could partially explain the enhanced vulnerability to stressful events of Met carriers reported in both preclinical and clinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Musazzi
- Department of Medicine and SurgeryUniversity of Milano‐BicoccaMonzaItaly
| | - Paolo Tornese
- Dipartimento di Scienze FarmaceuticheUniversity of MilanMilanItaly
| | - Nathalie Sala
- Dipartimento di Scienze FarmaceuticheUniversity of MilanMilanItaly
| | - Francis S. Lee
- Department of PsychiatryWeill Cornell Medical CollegeNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | - Maurizio Popoli
- Dipartimento di Scienze FarmaceuticheUniversity of MilanMilanItaly
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Harika-Germaneau G, Langbour N, Patri S, Solinas M, Chatard A, Millet B, Hashemian F, Pérault-Pochat MC, Jaafari N, Lafay-Chebassier C. Impact of brain-derived neurotrophic factor Val66Met polymorphism and response to escitalopram or paroxetine in obsessive-compulsive disorder. CNS Spectr 2022; 27:645-51. [PMID: 34313207 DOI: 10.1017/S1092852921000687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a severe psychiatric disorder characterized by its heterogeneous nature and by different dimensions of obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms. Serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs) are used to treat OCD, but up to 40% to 60% of patients do not show a significant improvement with these medications. In this study, we aimed to test the impact of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) Val66Met polymorphism on the efficacy of antidepressants in OCD overall, and in relation to the different OC dimensions. METHODS In a 6-month prospective treatment study, 69 Caucasian OCD patients were treated with escitalopram for 24 weeks or with escitalopram for 12 weeks followed by paroxetine for an additional 12-week period. Patients were genotyped and assessed for treatment response. The main clinical outcomes were improvement of the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale score and in different OC symptom dimension scores. RESULTS The Val/Val group comprised 43 (62%) patients, the Val/Met and Met/Met group comprised 26 (38%) patients. Forty-two patients were classified as responders at 12 weeks and 38 at 24 weeks; no significant association was found between BDNF Val66Met and SRIs response at 12 and 24 weeks. In analyses of the different OC symptom dimensions, the Met allele was associated with a slightly reduced score in the aggressive/checking dimension at 6 months (P = .048). CONCLUSIONS Our findings do not support the usefulness of BDNF Val66Met genotyping to predict overall response to treatment with SRIs in OCD; they did however suggest a better outcome at 6 months for the aggressive/checking symptom dimension for patients carrying the Met allele.
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Abaj F, Rafiee M, Koohdani F. Interactions of dietary insulin index and dietary insulin load with brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) Val66Met polymorphism in relation to cardiometabolic markers in Iranian diabetic patients: a cross-sectional study. Br J Nutr 2022; 128:785-92. [PMID: 34605382 DOI: 10.1017/S0007114521003974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The progression of cardiometabolic diseases is determined by both genetic and environmental factors. Gene-diet interactions may therefore be important in modulating the risks of developing metabolic diseases. The objectives were to investigate the effect of the interaction between brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) Val66Met polymorphisms and dietary insulin index (DII) and dietary insulin load (DIL) on cardiometabolic markers among diabetic patients. In this cross-sectional study, blood samples were collected from 667 patients. DIL and DII were defined using a validated FFQ. Genotyping the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism was conducted by the PCR-Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) method. Interactions between dietary indices and gene variants were evaluated using a generalised linear model. PGF2a concentrations were significantly higher among Val homozygotes than Met-allele carrier. This study revealed that, compared with individuals with the Val/Val genotype, those with the Met/Val or Met/Met genotype had lower BMI (Pinteraction = 0·04), TAG (Pinteraction = 0·04), leptin (Pinteraction = 0·01), LDL (Pinteraction = 0·04) and total cholesterol (Pinteraction = 0·01) when they consumed diets higher on the DIL index. Moreover, the highest quartile of the DIL, compared with the lowest, showed increase in waist circumference (Pinteraction = 0·02) and LDL/HDL (Pinteraction = 0·04) for Val/Val homozygotes compared with Met-allele carriers. BDNF Val66Met variants may interact with DIL and DII, thus be involved in the development of cardiometabolic risk factors. If diabetic patients with Met alleles regulate dietary intakes, they have a protective opportunity to regulate their cardiometabolic markers.
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Sandrini L, Amadio P, Ieraci A, Malara A, Werba JP, Soprano PM, Balduini A, Zarà M, Bonomi A, Veglia F, Colombo GI, Popoli M, Lee FS, Tremoli E, Barbieri SS. The α 2-adrenergic receptor pathway modulating depression influences the risk of arterial thrombosis associated with BDNFVal66Met polymorphism. Biomed Pharmacother 2021; 146:112557. [PMID: 34965503 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2021.112557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2021] [Revised: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Depression is associated with thrombotic risk and arterial events, its proper management is strongly recommended in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients. We have previously shown that the Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF)Val66Met polymorphism, related to depression, is associated with arterial thrombosis in mice, and with an increased risk of acute myocardial infarction in humans. Herein, expanding the previous findings on BDNFVal66Met polymorphism, we show that desipramine, a norepinephrine reuptake-inhibitor, rescues behavioral impairments, reduces the arterial thrombosis risk, abolishes pathological coagulation and platelet hyper-reactivity, normalizes leukocyte, platelet, and bone marrow megakaryocyte number and restores physiological norepinephrine levels in homozygous knock-in BDNF Val66Met (BDNFMet/Met) mice. The in vitro data confirm the enhanced procoagulant activity and the alpha2A-adrenergic receptor (α2A-ADR) overexpression found in BDNFMet/Met mice and we provide evidence that, in presence of Met variant, norepinephrine is crucial to up-regulate procoagulant activity and to enhance platelet generation. The α2-ADR antagonist rauwolscine rescues the prothrombotic phenotype in BDNFMet/Met mice and reduces procoagulant activity and platelet generation in cells transfected with BDNFMet plasmid or exposed to pro-BDNFMet peptide. Finally, we show that homozygous BDNFMet/Met CAD patients have hyper-reactive platelets overexpressing abundant α2A-ADR. The great proplatelet release from their megakaryocytes well reflects their higher circulating platelet number compared to BDNFVal/Val patients. These data reveal an unprecedented described role of Met allele in the dysregulation of norepinephrine/α2A-ADR pathway that may explain the predisposition to arterial thrombosis. Overall, the development of α2A-ADR inhibitors might represent a pharmacological treatment for depression-associated thrombotic conditions in this specific subgroup of CAD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Alessandro Ieraci
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Alessandro Malara
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy; IRCCS San Matteo Foundation, Pavia, Italy
| | - José P Werba
- Centro Cardiologico Monzino, IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Paolo M Soprano
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy; IRCCS San Matteo Foundation, Pavia, Italy
| | - Alessandra Balduini
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy; IRCCS San Matteo Foundation, Pavia, Italy
| | - Marta Zarà
- Centro Cardiologico Monzino, IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Alice Bonomi
- Centro Cardiologico Monzino, IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | | | | | - Maurizio Popoli
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Francis S Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, USA
| | - Elena Tremoli
- Centro Cardiologico Monzino, IRCCS, Milan, Italy; Maria Cecilia Hospital, Cotignola, Italy
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Ieraci A, Beggiato S, Ferraro L, Barbieri SS, Popoli M. Kynurenine pathway is altered in BDNF Val66Met knock-in mice: Effect of physical exercise. Brain Behav Immun 2020; 89:440-450. [PMID: 32726686 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2020.07.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Revised: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) Val66Met polymorphism has been correlated with increased predisposition to develop cognitive and psychiatric disorders, and with a reduced response to some therapeutic treatments. However, the mechanisms underlying these impairments are currently not completely understood. Remarkably, kynurenine pathway alterations have also been implicated in cognitive and psychiatric disorders. Moreover, recent evidence suggests that physical exercise may promote beneficial effects by controlling kynurenine metabolism in the muscle. The aim of the present study was to assess whether the kynurenine pathway was differentially regulated in sedentary and exercising wild-type (BDNFVal/Val) and homozygous knock-in BDNF Val66Met (BDNFMet/Met) mice. We found that plasma and hippocampal levels of kynurenic acid and the hippocampal mRNA levels of IDO1 and KAT2 protein levels were increased in BDNFMet/Met mice and were not modulated by physical exercise. On the contrary, KAT1 protein levels in the gastrocnemius muscle were reduced, whereas MCP1 mRNA in the gastrocnemius muscle and GFAP protein in the hippocampus were increased in BDNFMet/Met mice compared to BDNFVal/Val mice, and reduced by physical exercise. Physical exercise increased plasmatic kynurenine levels only in BDNFMet/Met mice, and protein levels of KAT1 and KAT4 in the gastrocnemius muscle and hippocampus respectively, regardless of the genotype. Finally, we found that physical exercise was able to enhance the hippocampal-dependent memory only in the BDNFVal/Val mice. Overall our results showing an overactivation of the kynurenine pathway in the BDNFMet/Met mice may suggest a possible mechanism underlying the cognitive deficits reported in the BDNF Val66Met carriers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Ieraci
- Laboratory of Neuropsychopharmacology and Functional Neurogenomics - Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Sezione di Fisiologia e Farmacologia, Università di Milano, Milano, Italy.
| | - Sarah Beggiato
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnologies, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy; Department of Medical, Oral and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Chieti-Pescara, Italy
| | - Luca Ferraro
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnologies, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | | | - Maurizio Popoli
- Laboratory of Neuropsychopharmacology and Functional Neurogenomics - Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Sezione di Fisiologia e Farmacologia, Università di Milano, Milano, Italy
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Pujol N, Mané A, Bergé D, Mezquida G, Amoretti S, Pérez L, González-Pinto A, Barcones F, Cuesta MJ, Sánchez-Tomico G, Vieta E, Castro-Fornieles J, Bernardo M, Parellada M. Influence of BDNF and MTHFR polymorphisms on hippocampal volume in first-episode psychosis. Schizophr Res 2020; 223:345-352. [PMID: 32988741 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2020.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2019] [Revised: 04/26/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The BDNF and MTHFR genes are independently linked to the pathogenesis of schizophrenia and its neuroimaging correlates. The aim of this study was to explore, for the first time, the individual and interactional effects of the Val66Met and C677T polymorphisms on hippocampal atrophy in first-episode psychosis (FEP). METHOD Multi-site case-control study based on clinical, genetic (rs 6265, rs 1801133) and structural magnetic resonance imaging data from 98 non-affective FEP patients and 117 matched healthy controls (HC). Hippocampal volume was estimated using FreeSurfer software and this volume was compared between diagnostic (FEP vs HC) and genotype (Val66Met, C677T) groups. The BDNF Val66Met x MTHFR C677T effect on hippocampal volume was further evaluated through stratified analyses. RESULTS After applying Bonferroni correction, diagnosis showed a significant effect for adjusted left and right hippocampal volume (FEP < HC). Stratified analyses showed that the interactive effect contributed to adjusted hippocampal size in both the HC (left and right hippocampus) and FEP groups (right hippocampus); among BDNF Met carriers, those with the CT-TT genotype exhibited decreased hippocampal volume compared to individuals with the homozygous normal CC genotype. CONCLUSIONS Our results provide preliminary evidence indicating that the Val66Met x C677T interaction may be a potential genetic risk factor for reduced hippocampal size in both healthy controls and in patients with FEP. Further research in independent samples including different ethnic groups is warranted to confirm this new finding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nuria Pujol
- Institute of Neuropsychiatry and Addiction of the Barcelona MAR Health Park, Barcelona, Spain; Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Anna Mané
- Institute of Neuropsychiatry and Addiction of the Barcelona MAR Health Park, Barcelona, Spain; Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), Barcelona, Spain; Biomedical Research Networking Center for Mental Health Network (CIBERSAM), Spain
| | - Daniel Bergé
- Institute of Neuropsychiatry and Addiction of the Barcelona MAR Health Park, Barcelona, Spain; Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), Barcelona, Spain; Biomedical Research Networking Center for Mental Health Network (CIBERSAM), Spain
| | - Gisela Mezquida
- Biomedical Research Networking Center for Mental Health Network (CIBERSAM), Spain; Barcelona Clinic Schizophrenia Unit, Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, Neuroscience Institute; August Pi I Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS); University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Silvia Amoretti
- Biomedical Research Networking Center for Mental Health Network (CIBERSAM), Spain; Barcelona Clinic Schizophrenia Unit, Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, Neuroscience Institute; August Pi I Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS); University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lucía Pérez
- Institute of Neuropsychiatry and Addiction of the Barcelona MAR Health Park, Barcelona, Spain; Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ana González-Pinto
- Biomedical Research Networking Center for Mental Health Network (CIBERSAM), Spain; Servicio de Psiquiatría, Hospital Santiago, OSI Araba, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
| | - Fe Barcones
- Biomedical Research Networking Center for Mental Health Network (CIBERSAM), Spain; Department of Family Medicine, Hospital Universitario Miguel Servet, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Aragón (IIS Aragón), Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Manuel J Cuesta
- Department of Psychiatry, Complejo Hospitalario de Navarra, IdiSNA, Navarra Institute for Health Research, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Georgina Sánchez-Tomico
- Institute of Neuropsychiatry and Addiction of the Barcelona MAR Health Park, Barcelona, Spain; Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Eduard Vieta
- Biomedical Research Networking Center for Mental Health Network (CIBERSAM), Spain; Bipolar Disorder Unit, Institute of Neurosciences, August Pi I Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS), Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Josefina Castro-Fornieles
- Biomedical Research Networking Center for Mental Health Network (CIBERSAM), Spain; Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology Department, 2017SGR881, Institute of Neurosciences, Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Miquel Bernardo
- Biomedical Research Networking Center for Mental Health Network (CIBERSAM), Spain; Barcelona Clinic Schizophrenia Unit, Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, Neuroscience Institute; August Pi I Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS); University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mara Parellada
- Biomedical Research Networking Center for Mental Health Network (CIBERSAM), Spain; Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón School of Medicine, Universidad Complutense, IiSGM, Madrid, Spain
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Havelka Mestrovic A, Tudor L, Nedic Erjavec G, Nikolac Perkovic M, Svob Strac D, Kovacic Petrovic Z, Pivac N. The impact of BDNF Val66Met on cognitive skills in veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder. Neurosci Lett 2020; 735:135235. [PMID: 32629065 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2020.135235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2020] [Revised: 06/14/2020] [Accepted: 07/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a trauma-induced disorder characterized with impaired cognitive function. BDNF modulates cognition and is involved in neuroprotection and neurocognitive processing. The BDNF Val66Met polymorphism was found to influence cognitive functions. In PTSD, carriers of the BDNF GG genotype had better spatial processing of navigation performance, and lower hyperarousal and startle reaction than A allele carriers. The hypothesis was that veterans with PTSD, carriers of the BDNF Val66Met A allele, will show reduced cognitive skills. The study included 315 male Caucasian combat veterans, with (N = 199) or without (N = 116) current and chronic PTSD. Cognition was assessed using the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure (ROCF) test that determines visual-spatial perception and short and long-term visual memory function. The results revealed that cognitive decline measured with ROCF test was associated with PTSD. Presence of the BDNF Val66Met GG genotype in veterans with PTSD, but not in veterans without PTSD, showed protective association with visual short-term memory and visual object manipulation after few seconds (executive function), assessed with the ROCF immediate recall test, compared to the A carriers with PTSD. In conclusion, this was the first study to confirm the association between BDNF Val66Met and memory and attention performed with ROCF in male veterans with PTSD. The results corroborated that the BDNF Val66Met A allele, compared to GG genotype, is associated with poorer short-term visual memory and attention linked with executive functions, in veterans with PTSD.
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10
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Ieraci A, Barbieri SS, Macchi C, Amadio P, Sandrini L, Magni P, Popoli M, Ruscica M. BDNF Val66Met polymorphism alters food intake and hypothalamic BDNF expression in mice. J Cell Physiol 2020; 235:9667-9675. [PMID: 32430940 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.29778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2020] [Revised: 04/09/2020] [Accepted: 05/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Obesity, a rising public health burden, is a multifactorial disease with an increased risk for patients to develop several pathological conditions including type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease. Increasing evidence suggests a relationship between the human brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) Val66Met single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and obesity, although the underlying mechanisms of this connection are still not completely understood. In the present study, we found that homozygous knock-in BDNFMet/Met mice were overweight and hyperphagic compared to wildtype BDNFVal/Val mice. Increased food intake was associated with reduction of total BDNF and BDNF1, BDNF4 and BDNF6 transcripts in the hypothalamus of BDNFMet/Met mice. In contrast, in the white adipose tissue total BDNF and Glut4 expression levels were augmented, while sirtuin 1 and leptin receptor (Ob-R) expression levels were reduced in BDNFMet/Met mice. Moreover, plasmatic leptin levels were decreased in BDNFMet/Met mice. However, BDNFVal/Val and BDNFMet/Met mice showed a similar response to the insulin tolerance test and glucose tolerance test. Altogether, these results suggest that BDNF Val66Met SNP strongly contributes to adipose tissue pathophysiology, resulting in reduced circulating leptin levels and hypothalamic expression of BDNF, which, in turn, promote increased food intake and overweight in BDNFMet/Met mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Ieraci
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Sezione di Fisiologia e Farmacologia, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | | | - Chiara Macchi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | | | | | - Paolo Magni
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy.,IRCCS MultiMedica, Sesto S. Giovanni, Milan, Italy
| | - Maurizio Popoli
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Sezione di Fisiologia e Farmacologia, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Massimiliano Ruscica
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
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11
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Sandrini L, Castiglioni L, Amadio P, Werba JP, Eligini S, Fiorelli S, Zarà M, Castiglioni S, Bellosta S, Lee FS, Sironi L, Tremoli E, Barbieri SS. Impact of BDNF Val66Met Polymorphism on Myocardial Infarction: Exploring the Macrophage Phenotype. Cells 2020; 9:E1084. [PMID: 32349267 DOI: 10.3390/cells9051084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2020] [Revised: 04/22/2020] [Accepted: 04/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a member of the neurotrophin growth factor family, well known for its role in the homeostasis of the cardiovascular system. Recently, the human BDNF Val66Met single nucleotide polymorphism has been associated with the increased propensity for arterial thrombosis related to acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging and immunohistochemistry analyses, we showed that homozygous mice carrying the human BDNF Val66Met polymorphism (BDNFMet/Met) undergoing left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery ligation display an adverse cardiac remodeling compared to wild-type (BDNFVal/Val). Interestingly, we observed a persistent presence of pro-inflammatory M1-like macrophages and a reduced accumulation of reparative-like phenotype macrophages (M2-like) in the infarcted heart of mutant mice. Further qPCR analyses showed that BDNFMet/Met peritoneal macrophages are more pro-inflammatory and have a higher migratory ability compared to BDNFVal/Val ones. Finally, macrophages differentiated from circulating monocytes isolated from BDNFMet/Met patients with coronary heart disease displayed the same pro-inflammatory characteristics of the murine ones. In conclusion, the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism predisposes to adverse cardiac remodeling after myocardial infarction in a mouse model and affects macrophage phenotype in both humans and mice. These results provide a new cellular mechanism by which this human BDNF genetic variant could influence cardiovascular disease.
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12
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Low I, Kuo PC, Tsai CL, Liu YH, Lin MW, Chao HT, Chen YS, Hsieh JC, Chen LF. Interactions of BDNF Val66Met Polymorphism and Menstrual Pain on Brain Complexity. Front Neurosci 2018; 12:826. [PMID: 30524221 PMCID: PMC6256283 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2018.00826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2018] [Accepted: 10/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The irregularity and uncertainty of neurophysiologic signals across different time scales can be regarded as neural complexity, which is related to the adaptability of the nervous system and the information processing between neurons. We recently reported general loss of brain complexity, as measured by multiscale sample entropy (MSE), at pain-related regions in females with primary dysmenorrhea (PDM). However, it is unclear whether this loss of brain complexity is associated with inter-subject genetic variations. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a widely expressed neurotrophin in the brain and is crucial to neural plasticity. The BDNF Val66Met single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) is associated with mood, stress, and pain conditions. Therefore, we aimed to examine the interactions of BDNF Val66Met polymorphism and long-term menstrual pain experience on brain complexity. We genotyped BDNF Val66Met SNP in 80 PDM females (20 Val/Val, 31 Val/Met, 29 Met/Met) and 76 healthy female controls (25 Val/Val, 36 Val/Met, 15 Met/Met). MSE analysis was applied to neural source activity estimated from resting-state magnetoencephalography (MEG) signals during pain-free state. We found that brain complexity alterations were associated with the interactions of BDNF Val66Met polymorphism and menstrual pain experience. In healthy female controls, Met carriers (Val/Met and Met/Met) demonstrated lower brain complexity than Val/Val homozygotes in extensive brain regions, suggesting a possible protective role of Val/Val homozygosity in brain complexity. However, after experiencing long-term menstrual pain, the complexity differences between different genotypes in healthy controls were greatly diminished in PDM females, especially in the limbic system, including the hippocampus and amygdala. Our results suggest that pain experience preponderantly affects the effect of BDNF Val66Met polymorphism on brain complexity. The results of the present study also highlight the potential utilization of resting-state brain complexity for the development of new therapeutic strategies in patients with chronic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Intan Low
- Institute of Brain Science, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Integrated Brain Research Unit, Department of Medical Research, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Po-Chih Kuo
- Institute of Statistical Science, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Lin Tsai
- Institute of Biomedical Informatics, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Hsiang Liu
- Institute of Brain Science, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Wei Lin
- Institute of Public Health, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hsiang-Tai Chao
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yong-Sheng Chen
- Department of Computer Science, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan.,Center for Emergent Functional Matter Science, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Jen-Chuen Hsieh
- Institute of Brain Science, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Integrated Brain Research Unit, Department of Medical Research, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.,Brain Research Center, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Li-Fen Chen
- Institute of Brain Science, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Integrated Brain Research Unit, Department of Medical Research, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.,Institute of Biomedical Informatics, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Brain Research Center, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
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13
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Wegman J, Tyborowska A, Hoogman M, Arias Vásquez A, Janzen G. The brain-derived neurotrophic factor Val66Met polymorphism affects encoding of object locations during active navigation. Eur J Neurosci 2016; 45:1501-1511. [PMID: 27717213 PMCID: PMC5484279 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.13416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2016] [Revised: 09/10/2016] [Accepted: 09/22/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) was shown to be involved in spatial memory and spatial strategy preference. A naturally occurring single nucleotide polymorphism of the BDNF gene (Val66Met) affects activity‐dependent secretion of BDNF. The current event‐related fMRI study on preselected groups of ‘Met’ carriers and homozygotes of the ‘Val’ allele investigated the role of this polymorphism on encoding and retrieval in a virtual navigation task in 37 healthy volunteers. In each trial, participants navigated toward a target object. During encoding, three positional cues (columns) with directional cues (shadows) were available. During retrieval, the invisible target had to be replaced while either two objects without shadows (objects trial) or one object with a shadow (shadow trial) were available. The experiment consisted of blocks, informing participants of which trial type would be most likely to occur during retrieval. We observed no differences between genetic groups in task performance or time to complete the navigation tasks. The imaging results show that Met carriers compared to Val homozygotes activate the left hippocampus more during successful object location memory encoding. The observed effects were independent of non‐significant performance differences or volumetric differences in the hippocampus. These results indicate that variations of the BDNF gene affect memory encoding during spatial navigation, suggesting that lower levels of BDNF in the hippocampus results in less efficient spatial memory processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joost Wegman
- Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University Nijmegen, Postbus 9104, Nijmegen, 6500 HE, The Netherlands.,Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, PO Box 9101, Nijmegen, 6500 HB, The Netherlands
| | - Anna Tyborowska
- Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University Nijmegen, Postbus 9104, Nijmegen, 6500 HE, The Netherlands.,Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, PO Box 9101, Nijmegen, 6500 HB, The Netherlands
| | - Martine Hoogman
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Department of Language and Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Alejandro Arias Vásquez
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Department of Psychiatry, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Gabriele Janzen
- Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University Nijmegen, Postbus 9104, Nijmegen, 6500 HE, The Netherlands.,Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, PO Box 9101, Nijmegen, 6500 HB, The Netherlands
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14
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Meng WD, Sun SJ, Yang J, Chu RX, Tu W, Liu Q. Elevated Serum Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) but not BDNF Gene Val66Met Polymorphism Is Associated with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Mol Neurobiol 2016; 54:1167-1172. [PMID: 26820673 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-016-9721-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2015] [Accepted: 01/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The aim of our study was to illuminate the potential role of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We measured the circulating levels of BDNF in serum and BDNF gene (Val66Met) polymorphisms, in which two indicators were then compared between ASD and normal controls. A total of 82 drug-naïve ASD children and 82 age- and gender-matched normal controls were enrolled in the study. Their serum BDNF levels were detected by the ELISA. BDNF Val66Met polymorphism genotyping was conducted as according to the laboratory's standard protocol in laboratory. The ASD severity assessment was mainly determined by the score of the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS). ELISA assay showed that the mean serum BDNF level of children with ASD was significantly (P < 0.0001) higher than that of the control cases (17.75 ± 5.43 vs. 11.49 ± 2.85 ng/ml; t = 9.236). Besides, the serum BDNF levels and CARS scores (P < 0.0001) were positively related. And, the BDNF genotyping results showed that there was no difference between the ASD cases and the control. Among the children with ASD, the mean serum BDNF level of Met/Met group was lower than other groups. According to the ROC curve generated from our clinical data, the optimal cutoff value of serum BDNF levels, an indicator for diagnosis of ASD, was projected to be 12.50 ng/ml. Thus, it yielded a corresponding sensitivity of 81.7 % and the specificity of 66.9 %. Accordingly, area value under the curve was 0.836 (95 % CI, 0.774-0.897); the positive predictive value (PPV) and the negative predictive value (NPV) were 70.1 and 79.1 %, respectively. These results suggested that rather than Val66Met polymorphism, BDNF was more possible to impact the pathogenesis of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei-Dong Meng
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Liaocheng People's Hospital, No. 67, Dongchang West Road, Liaocheng, 252000, China
| | - Shao-Jun Sun
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Liaocheng People's Hospital, No. 67, Dongchang West Road, Liaocheng, 252000, China.
| | - Jie Yang
- Department of Pharmacy, Liaocheng Herbalist Hospital, Liaocheng, China
| | - Rui-Xue Chu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Liaocheng People's Hospital, No. 67, Dongchang West Road, Liaocheng, 252000, China
| | - Wenjun Tu
- Institute of Radiation Medicine, Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College, No. 238, Baiti Road, Tianjin, 300192, China
| | - Qiang Liu
- Institute of Radiation Medicine, Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College, No. 238, Baiti Road, Tianjin, 300192, China.
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15
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Canivet A, Albinet CT, André N, Pylouster J, Rodríguez-Ballesteros M, Kitzis A, Audiffren M. Effects of BDNF polymorphism and physical activity on episodic memory in the elderly: a cross sectional study. Eur Rev Aging Phys Act 2015; 12:15. [PMID: 26865879 DOI: 10.1186/s11556-015-0159-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2015] [Accepted: 12/21/2015] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) concentration is highest in the hippocampus compared with that in other brain structures and affects episodic memory, a cognitive function that is impaired in older adults. According to the neurotrophic hypothesis, BDNF released during physical activity enhances brain plasticity and consequently brain health. However, even if the physical activity level is involved in the secretion of neurotrophin, this protein is also under the control of a specific gene. The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of the interaction between physical activity and BDNF Val66Met (rs6265), a genetic polymorphism, on episodic memory. METHODS Two hundred and five volunteers aged 55 and older with a Mini Mental State Examination score ≥ 24 participated in this study. Four groups of participants were established according to their physical activity level and polymorphism BDNF profile (Active Val homozygous, Inactive Val homozygous, Active Met carriers, Inactive Met carriers). Episodic memory was evaluated based on the delayed recall of the Logical Memory test of the MEM III battery. RESULTS As expected, the physical activity level interacted with BDNF polymorphism to affect episodic memory performance (p < .05). The active Val homozygous participants significantly outperformed the active Met carriers and inactive Val homozygous participants. CONCLUSION This study clearly demonstrates an interaction between physical activity and BDNF Val66Met polymorphism that affects episodic memory in the elderly and confirms that physical activity contributes to the neurotrophic mechanism implicated in cognitive health. The interaction shows that only participants with Val/Val polymorphism benefited from physical activity.
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16
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Lemos JR, Alves CR, de Souza SBC, Marsiglia JDC, Silva MSM, Pereira AC, Teixeira AL, Vieira ELM, Krieger JE, Negrão CE, Alves GB, de Oliveira EM, Bolani W, Dias RG, Trombetta IC. Peripheral vascular reactivity and serum BDNF responses to aerobic training are impaired by the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism. Physiol Genomics 2015; 48:116-23. [PMID: 26603150 DOI: 10.1152/physiolgenomics.00086.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2015] [Accepted: 11/13/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Besides neuronal plasticity, the neurotrophin brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is also important in vascular function. The BDNF has been associated with angiogenesis through its specific receptor tropomyosin-related kinase B (TrkB). Additionally, Val66Met polymorphism decreases activity-induced BDNF. Since BDNF and TrkB are expressed in vascular endothelial cells and aerobic exercise training can increase serum BDNF, this study aimed to test the hypotheses: 1) Serum BDNF levels modulate peripheral blood flow; 2) The Val66Met BDNF polymorphism impairs exercise training-induced vasodilation. We genotyped 304 healthy male volunteers (Val66Val, n = 221; Val66Met, n = 83) who underwent intense aerobic exercise training on a running track three times/wk for 4 mo. We evaluated pre- and post-exercise training serum BDNF and proBDNF concentration, heart rate (HR), mean blood pressure (MBP), forearm blood flow (FBF), and forearm vascular resistance (FVR). In the pre-exercise training, BDNF, proBDNF, BDNF/proBDNF ratio, FBF, and FVR were similar between genotypes. After exercise training, functional capacity (V̇o2 peak) increased and HR decreased similarly in both groups. Val66Val, but not Val66Met, increased BDNF (interaction, P = 0.04) and BDNF/proBDNF ratio (interaction, P < 0.001). Interestingly, FBF (interaction, P = 0.04) and the FVR (interaction, P = 0.01) responses during handgrip exercise (HG) improved in Val66Val compared with Val66Met, even with similar responses of HR and MBP. There were association between BDNF/proBDNF ratio and FBF (r = 0.64, P < 0.001) and FVR (r = -0.58, P < 0.001) during HG exercise. These results show that peripheral vascular reactivity and serum BDNF responses to exercise training are impaired by the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism and such responsiveness is associated with serum BDNF concentrations in healthy subjects.
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Affiliation(s)
- José R Lemos
- School of Physical Education, Military Police of São Paulo State, São Paulo, Brazil; Heart Institute (InCor), University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Cleber R Alves
- School of Physical Education and Sport, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Sílvia B C de Souza
- Heart Institute (InCor), University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Julia D C Marsiglia
- Heart Institute (InCor), University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Michelle S M Silva
- Heart Institute (InCor), University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Alexandre C Pereira
- Heart Institute (InCor), University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | | | - José E Krieger
- Heart Institute (InCor), University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Carlos E Negrão
- Heart Institute (InCor), University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil; School of Physical Education and Sport, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Guilherme B Alves
- Heart Institute (InCor), University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Wladimir Bolani
- Heart Institute (InCor), University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo G Dias
- Heart Institute (InCor), University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ivani C Trombetta
- Heart Institute (InCor), University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil; Universidade Nove de Julho (UNINOVE), São Paulo, Brazil
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17
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Zhang L, Li Z, Chen J, Li X, Zhang J, Belsky J. The BDNF Val66Met Polymorphism Interacts with Maternal Parenting Influencing Adolescent Depressive Symptoms: Evidence of Differential Susceptibility Model. J Youth Adolesc 2016; 45:471-83. [PMID: 26510938 DOI: 10.1007/s10964-015-0378-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2015] [Accepted: 10/22/2015] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Although depressive symptoms are common during adolescence, little research has examined gene-environment interaction on youth depression. This study chose the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene, tested the interaction between a functional polymorphism resulting amino acid substitution of valine (Val) to methionine (Met) in the proBDNF protein at codon 66 (Val66Met), and maternal parenting on youth depressive symptoms in a sample of 780 community adolescents of Chinese Han ethnicity (aged 11-17, M = 13.6, 51.3 % females). Participants reported their depressive symptoms and perceived maternal parenting. Results indicated the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism significantly moderated the influence of maternal warmth-reasoning, but not harshness-hostility, on youth depressive symptoms. Confirmatory model evaluation indicated that the interaction effect involving warmth-reasoning conformed to the differential-susceptibility rather than diathesis-stress model of person-X-environment interaction. Thus, Val carriers experienced less depressive symptoms than Met homozygotes when mothering was more positive but more symptoms when mothering was less positive. The findings provided evidence in support of the differential susceptibility hypothesis of youth depressive symptoms and shed light on the importance of examining the gene-environment interaction from a developmental perspective.
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18
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Chen J, Yu J, Liu Y, Zhang L, Zhang J. BDNF Val66Met, stress, and positive mothering: Differential susceptibility model of adolescent trait anxiety. J Anxiety Disord 2015; 34:68-75. [PMID: 26119141 DOI: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2015.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2015] [Revised: 05/31/2015] [Accepted: 06/05/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Etiological research has indicated the gene-environment interaction (G × E) on adolescent anxiety. This study aimed to examine how the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism interacted with stressful life events and positive mothering to influence youth trait anxiety. The study sample included 780 community adolescents of Chinese Han ethnicity (M = 13.6, 51.3% females). Participants' trait anxiety, exposure to stressful life events, and mother's warmth-reasoning were assessed by self-reported questionnaires. We found that BDNF Val66Met polymorphism significantly moderated the influences of stressful life events and mother's warmth-reasoning on adolescent anxiety. The influences were significantly greater in adolescents carrying one or two Val allele than those with Met/Met genotype. Moreover, the G × E interactions were more consistent with the differential susceptibility than the diathesis-stress model. Adolescents carrying Val allele who were more susceptible to adversity were also more likely to benefit from supportive experiences. These findings provide novel evidence for the role of BDNF Val66Met as a genetic susceptibility modulating the influences of stressful life events and mother's warmth-reasoning on adolescent anxiety. We speculate that BDNF Val66Met may moderate anxious youths' responses to mindfulness-based stress reduction program and family-based treatment targeting the enhancement of positive parenting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Chen
- Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
| | - Jing Yu
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, USA
| | - Yujie Liu
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Leilei Zhang
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jianxin Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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19
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Chen J, Li X, McGue M. The interacting effect of the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism and stressful life events on adolescent depression is not an artifact of gene-environment correlation: evidence from a longitudinal twin study. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2013; 54:1066-73. [PMID: 23848344 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.12099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/03/2013] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Confounding introduced by gene-environment correlation (rGE) may prevent one from observing a true gene-environment interaction (G × E) effect on psychopathology. The present study investigated the interacting effect of the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism and stressful life events (SLEs) on adolescent depression while controlling for the rGE by two means: separating pure environmental factors (independent SLEs) from the environmental factors under partial genetic control (dependent SLEs) and adopting a prospective longitudinal design. METHODS A total of 780 pairs of Chinese twins, aged 11-17 years (mean = 13.6, SD = 1.8) at intake, were followed up twice. Self-reported depression symptoms at Time 1 and Time 2 were assessed by the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI). SLEs occurring between Time 1 and Time 2 were assessed by a self-reported checklist. SLEs were differentiated into independent and dependent ones and were validated by heritability analyses using twin design. The interacting effects between the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism and numbers of SLEs (total SLEs and independent SLEs) on intraindividual change of depression symptoms were examined. RESULTS After controlling for sex, age, age square, and Time 1 depression, both total SLEs × BDNF Val66Met genotype and independent SLEs × BDNF Val66Met genotype significantly predicted Time 2 depression. Val allele carriers (Val/Val and Val/Met) were more susceptible to the detrimental effects of stress. CONCLUSIONS There is a true G × E effect underlying the observed interaction between BDNF Val66Met polymorphism and environmental stress on depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Chen
- Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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20
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Chen J, Li X, McGue M. Interacting effect of BDNF Val66Met polymorphism and stressful life events on adolescent depression. Genes Brain Behav 2012; 11:958-65. [PMID: 22931410 DOI: 10.1111/j.1601-183x.2012.00843.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2012] [Revised: 06/24/2012] [Accepted: 08/27/2012] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
There is a strong etiological link between brain-derived neurotrophic factor and depression, but the neurocellular mechanisms and gene-environment interactions remain obscure. This study investigated whether one functional polymorphism in the brain-derived neurotrophic factor gene (BDNF Val66Met) modulates the influence of stressful life events on adolescent depressive symptoms. A total of 780 pairs of ethnic Han Chinese adolescent twins, 11-17 years of age, were randomly assigned to one of two subgroups (twin1 and twin2). All subjects were genotyped as Val/Val, Val/Met or Met/Met, and assessed for depressive symptoms using the Children's Depression Inventory. The level of environmental stress was estimated by the frequency of stressful life events using the Life Events Checklist. The frequency of stressful life events was significantly correlated with depressive symptoms (twin1: β = 0.21, P = 0.01; twin2: β = 0.27, P < 0.01), but there was no significant main effect of the BDNF Val66Met genotype on depressive symptoms. In both subgroups, however, the interaction between the BDNF Val66Met genotype and stressful life event frequency was significant (twin1: β = 0.19, P = 0.01; twin2: β = 0.15, P = 0.04); individuals with one or two Val alleles demonstrated a greater susceptibility to both the detrimental effects of higher stress and the beneficial effects of lower stress compared to the Met/Met genotype. These findings support the 'differential-susceptibility' hypothesis, whereby the BDNF Val allele modulates the influence of environmental stress on depression by enhancing the neuroplastic response to all life events.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Chen
- Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - X Li
- Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - M McGue
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
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