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Squassina A, Pisanu C, Menesello V, Meloni A, Congiu D, Manchia M, Paribello P, Abate M, Bortolomasi M, Baune BT, Gennarelli M, Minelli A. Leukocyte Telomere Length and Mitochondrial DNA Copy Number in Treatment-Resistant Depression and Response to Electroconvulsive Therapy: A Pilot Longitudinal Study. J ECT 2024:00124509-990000000-00206. [PMID: 39178054 DOI: 10.1097/yct.0000000000001060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/25/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES In this study, we investigated if changes in leukocyte telomere length (LTL) and mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNA-cn), 2 markers of cellular aging, are associated with treatment-resistant depression (TRD) and with response to electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). METHODS LTL and mtDNA-cn were measured in 31 TRD patients before (T0), 1 week (T1), and 4 weeks (T2) after the ECT course, as well as in a sample of 65 healthy controls. RESULTS TRD patients had significantly shorter LTL and higher mtDNA-cn compared with healthy controls at baseline. In the TRD sample, LTL was inversely correlated with Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale scores at baseline. Baseline levels of LTL or mtDNA-cn were not correlated with response to ECT. Similarly, changes in LTL or mtDNA-cn were not associated with response to ECT either when considered as a dichotomous trait (responders vs nonresponders) or as a percentage change in symptoms improvements. CONCLUSIONS Ours is the first longitudinal study exploring the role of LTL and mtDNA-cn in response to ECT. Findings of this pilot investigation suggest that LTL and mtDNA-cn may constitute disease biomarkers for TRD but are not involved in response to ECT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessio Squassina
- From the Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Claudia Pisanu
- From the Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Valentina Menesello
- Genetics Unit, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
| | - Anna Meloni
- From the Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Donatella Congiu
- From the Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Mirko Manchia
- Section of Psychiatry, Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari, Cagliari Italy
| | - Pasquale Paribello
- Section of Psychiatry, Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari, Cagliari Italy
| | - Maria Abate
- Psychiatric Hospital "Villa Santa Chiara," Verona, Italy
| | | | - Bernhard T Baune
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany; Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia; Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne, Australia and
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Zafrilla-López M, Acosta-Díez M, Mitjans M, Giménez-Palomo A, Saiz PA, Barrot-Feixat C, Jiménez E, Papiol S, Ruiz V, Gavín P, García-Portilla MP, González-Blanco L, Bobes J, Schulze TG, Vieta E, Benabarre A, Arias B. Lithium response in bipolar disorder: Epigenome-wide DNA methylation signatures and epigenetic aging. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2024; 85:23-31. [PMID: 38669938 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2024.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Lithium (Li) is the first-line treatment for bipolar disorder (BD) even though only 30 % of BD patients are considered excellent responders. The mechanisms by which Li exerts its action are not clearly understood, but it has been suggested that specific epigenetic mechanisms, such as methylation processes, may play a role. In this regard, DNA methylation patterns can be used to estimate epigenetic age (EpiAge), which is accelerated in BD patients and reversed by Li treatment. Our first aim was to compare the DNA methylation profile in peripheral blood between BD patients categorized as excellent responders to Li (Ex-Rp) and non-responders (N-Rp). Secondly, EpiAge was estimated to detect differential age acceleration between the two groups. A total of 130 differentially methylated positions (DMPs) and 16 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) between Ex-Rp (n = 26) and N-Rp (n = 37) were identified (FDR adjusted p-value < 0.05). We found 122 genes mapping the DMPs and DMRs, nine of which (HOXB6, HOXB3, HOXB-AS3, TENM2, CACNA1B, ANK3, EEF2K, CYP1A1, and SORCS2) had previously been linked to Li response. We found genes related to the GSK3β pathway to be highly represented. Using FUMA, we found enrichment in Gene Ontology Cell Component for the synapse. Gene network analysis highlighted functions related to the cell cycle, nervous system development and function, and gene expression. No significant differences in age acceleration were found between Ex-Rp and N-Rp for any of the epigenetic clocks analysed. Our findings indicate that a specific methylation pattern could determine the response to Li in BD patients. We also found that a significant portion of the differentially methylated genes are closely associated with the GSK3β pathway, reinforcing the role of this system in Li response. Future longitudinal studies with larger samples will help to elucidate the epigenetic mechanisms underlying Li response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Zafrilla-López
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Miriam Acosta-Díez
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marina Mitjans
- Department of Genetics, Microbiology, and Statistics, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Institute of Biomedicine of the University of Barcelona (IBUB), Spain; CIBER de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain; Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu (IRSJD), Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain.
| | - Anna Giménez-Palomo
- Bipolar and Depressive Disorders Unit, Psychiatry and Psychology Service, Clinical Institute of Neuroscience, Hospital Clinic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Pilar A Saiz
- Department of Psychiatry, Servicio de Salud del Principado de Asturias (SESPA), School of Medicine, University of Oviedo, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), Instituto de Neurociencias del Principado de Asturias (INEUROPA), Oviedo, Spain; CIBER de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Ester Jiménez
- Bipolar and Depressive Disorders Unit, Psychiatry and Psychology Service, Clinical Institute of Neuroscience, Hospital Clinic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; Institut de Neurociències, Department of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; CIBER de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Sergi Papiol
- CIBER de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain; Institute of Psychiatric Phenomics and Genomics (IPPG), University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany; Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Victoria Ruiz
- Bipolar and Depressive Disorders Unit, Psychiatry and Psychology Service, Clinical Institute of Neuroscience, Hospital Clinic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Patrícia Gavín
- Bipolar and Depressive Disorders Unit, Psychiatry and Psychology Service, Clinical Institute of Neuroscience, Hospital Clinic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - María Paz García-Portilla
- Department of Psychiatry, Servicio de Salud del Principado de Asturias (SESPA), School of Medicine, University of Oviedo, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), Instituto de Neurociencias del Principado de Asturias (INEUROPA), Oviedo, Spain; CIBER de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Leticia González-Blanco
- Department of Psychiatry, Servicio de Salud del Principado de Asturias (SESPA), School of Medicine, University of Oviedo, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), Instituto de Neurociencias del Principado de Asturias (INEUROPA), Oviedo, Spain; CIBER de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Julio Bobes
- Department of Psychiatry, Servicio de Salud del Principado de Asturias (SESPA), School of Medicine, University of Oviedo, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), Instituto de Neurociencias del Principado de Asturias (INEUROPA), Oviedo, Spain; CIBER de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Thomas G Schulze
- Institute of Psychiatric Phenomics and Genomics (IPPG), University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Eduard Vieta
- Bipolar and Depressive Disorders Unit, Psychiatry and Psychology Service, Clinical Institute of Neuroscience, Hospital Clinic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; Institut de Neurociències, Department of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; CIBER de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Antoni Benabarre
- Bipolar and Depressive Disorders Unit, Psychiatry and Psychology Service, Clinical Institute of Neuroscience, Hospital Clinic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; Institut de Neurociències, Department of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; CIBER de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Bárbara Arias
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Institute of Biomedicine of the University of Barcelona (IBUB), Spain; CIBER de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
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Diniz BS, Seitz-Holland J, Sehgal R, Kasamoto J, Higgins-Chen AT, Lenze E. Geroscience-Centric Perspective for Geriatric Psychiatry: Integrating Aging Biology With Geriatric Mental Health Research. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry 2024; 32:1-16. [PMID: 37845116 PMCID: PMC10841054 DOI: 10.1016/j.jagp.2023.09.014] [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: 07/20/2023] [Revised: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 10/18/2023]
Abstract
The geroscience hypothesis asserts that physiological aging is caused by a small number of biological pathways. Despite the explosion of geroscience research over the past couple of decades, the research on how serious mental illnesses (SMI) affects the biological aging processes is still in its infancy. In this review, we aim to provide a critical appraisal of the emerging literature focusing on how we measure biological aging systematically, and in the brain and how SMIs affect biological aging measures in older adults. We will also review recent developments in the field of cellular senescence and potential targets for interventions for SMIs in older adults, based on the geroscience hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Breno S Diniz
- UConn Center on Aging & Department of Psychiatry (BSD), School of Medicine, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT.
| | - Johanna Seitz-Holland
- Department of Psychiatry (JSH), Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA; Department of Psychiatry (JSH), Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Raghav Sehgal
- Program in Computational Biology and Bioinformatics (RS, JK), Yale University, New Haven, CT
| | - Jessica Kasamoto
- Program in Computational Biology and Bioinformatics (RS, JK), Yale University, New Haven, CT
| | - Albert T Higgins-Chen
- Department of Psychiatry (ATHC), Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT; Department of Pathology (ATHC), Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | - Eric Lenze
- Department of Psychiatry (EL), School of Medicine, Washington University at St. Louis, St. Louis, MO
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Squassina A, Meloni A, Congiu D, Bosganas P, Patrinos GP, Lin R, Turecki G, Severino G, Ardau R, Chillotti C, Pisanu C. Analysis on in vitro effect of lithium on telomere length in lymphoblastoid cell lines from bipolar disorder patients with different clinical response to long-term lithium treatment. Hum Genomics 2022; 16:45. [PMID: 36253798 PMCID: PMC9575289 DOI: 10.1186/s40246-022-00418-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background It has been suggested that bipolar disorder (BD) is associated with clinical and biological features of accelerated aging. In our previous studies, we showed that long-term lithium treatment was correlated with longer leukocyte telomere length (LTL) in BD patients. A recent study explored the role of TL in BD using patients-derived lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs), showing that baseline TL was shorter in BD compared to controls and that lithium in vitro increased TL but only in BD. Here, we used the same cell system (LCLs) to explore if a 7-day treatment protocol with lithium chloride (LiCl) 1 mM was able to highlight differences in TL between BD patients clinically responders (Li-R; n = 15) or non-responders (Li-NR; n = 15) to lithium, and if BD differed from non-psychiatric controls (HC; n = 15).
Results There was no difference in TL between BD patients and HC. Moreover, LiCl did not influence TL in the overall sample, and there was no difference between diagnostic or clinical response groups. Likewise, LiCl did not affect TL in neural precursor cells from healthy donors. Conclusions Our findings suggest that a 7-day lithium treatment protocol and the use of LCLs might not represent a suitable approach to deepen our understanding on the role of altered telomere dynamics in BD as previously suggested by studies in vivo. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40246-022-00418-8.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessio Squassina
- Laboratory of Pharmacogenomics, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Cagliari, Sp 8 Sestu-Monserrato, Km 0.700, Mosnerrato, 09042, Cagliari, Italy.
| | - Anna Meloni
- Laboratory of Pharmacogenomics, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Cagliari, Sp 8 Sestu-Monserrato, Km 0.700, Mosnerrato, 09042, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Donatella Congiu
- Laboratory of Pharmacogenomics, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Cagliari, Sp 8 Sestu-Monserrato, Km 0.700, Mosnerrato, 09042, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Panagiotis Bosganas
- Laboratory of Pharmacogenomics and Individualized Therapy, School of Health Sciences, Department of Pharmacy, University of Patras, Patras, Greece
| | - George P Patrinos
- Laboratory of Pharmacogenomics and Individualized Therapy, School of Health Sciences, Department of Pharmacy, University of Patras, Patras, Greece.,College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Genetics and Genomics, United Arab Emirates University, Al-Ain, Abu Dhabi, UAE.,Zayed Center for Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al-Ain, Abu Dhabi, UAE
| | - Rixing Lin
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Department of Psychiatry, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Gustavo Turecki
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Department of Psychiatry, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Giovanni Severino
- Laboratory of Pharmacogenomics, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Cagliari, Sp 8 Sestu-Monserrato, Km 0.700, Mosnerrato, 09042, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Raffaella Ardau
- Unit of Clinical Pharmacology, University Hospital Agency of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Caterina Chillotti
- Unit of Clinical Pharmacology, University Hospital Agency of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Claudia Pisanu
- Laboratory of Pharmacogenomics, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Cagliari, Sp 8 Sestu-Monserrato, Km 0.700, Mosnerrato, 09042, Cagliari, Italy.
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Lima CNC, Suchting R, Scaini G, Cuellar VA, Favero-Campbell AD, Walss-Bass C, Soares JC, Quevedo J, Fries GR. Epigenetic GrimAge acceleration and cognitive impairment in bipolar disorder. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2022; 62:10-21. [PMID: 35810614 PMCID: PMC9427697 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2022.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Revised: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Bipolar disorder (BD) has been previously associated with clinical signs of premature aging, including accelerated epigenetic aging in blood and brain, and a steeper age-related decline in cognitive function. However, the clinical drivers and cognitive correlates of epigenetic aging in BD are still unknown. We aimed to investigate the relationship between multiple measures of epigenetic aging acceleration with clinical, functioning, and cognitive outcomes in patients with BD and controls. Blood genome-wide DNA methylation levels were measured in BD patients (n = 153) and matched healthy controls (n = 50) with the Infinium MethylationEPIC BeadChip (Illumina). Epigenetic age estimates were calculated using an online tool, including the recently developed lifespan predictor GrimAge, and analyzed with generalized linear models controlling for demographic variables and blood cell proportions. BD was significantly associated with greater GrimAge acceleration (AgeAccelGrim, β=0.197, p = 0.009), and significant group-dependent interactions were found between AgeAccelGrim and blood cell proportions (CD4+ T-lymphocytes, monocytes, granulocytes, and B-cells). Within patients, higher AgeAccelGrim was associated with worse cognitive function in multiple domains (short-term affective memory (β=-0.078, p = 0.030), short-term non-affective memory (β=-0.088, p = 0.018), inhibition (β=0.064, p = 0.046), and problem solving (β=-0.067, p = 0.034)), age of first diagnosis with any mood disorder (β=-0.076, p = 0.039) or BD (β=-0.102, p = 0.016), as well as with current non-smoking status (β=-0.392, p < 0.001). Overall, our findings support the contribution of epigenetic factors to the aging-related cognitive decline and premature mortality reported in BD patients, with an important driving effect of smoking in this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camila N C Lima
- Translational Psychiatry Program, Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX
| | - Robert Suchting
- Translational Psychiatry Program, Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX; Neuroscience Graduate Program, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX
| | - Giselli Scaini
- Translational Psychiatry Program, Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX; Neuroscience Graduate Program, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX
| | - Valeria A Cuellar
- Center of Excellence on Mood Disorders, Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX
| | - Alexandra Del Favero-Campbell
- Translational Psychiatry Program, Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX
| | - Consuelo Walss-Bass
- Translational Psychiatry Program, Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX; Neuroscience Graduate Program, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX
| | - Jair C Soares
- Translational Psychiatry Program, Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX; Neuroscience Graduate Program, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX; Center of Excellence on Mood Disorders, Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX
| | - Joao Quevedo
- Translational Psychiatry Program, Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX; Neuroscience Graduate Program, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX; Center of Excellence on Mood Disorders, Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX; Translational Psychiatry Laboratory, Graduate Program in Health Sciences, University of Southern Santa Catarina (UNESC), Criciúma, SC, Brazil
| | - Gabriel R Fries
- Translational Psychiatry Program, Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX; Neuroscience Graduate Program, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX; Center for Precision Health, School of Biomedical Informatics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX.
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Decreased leucocyte telomere length in male patients with chronic bipolar disorder: lack of effect of long-term lithium treatment. Acta Neuropsychiatr 2021; 33:299-306. [PMID: 34369336 DOI: 10.1017/neu.2021.20] [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] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Bipolar disorder (BD) may be connected with accelerated aging, the marker of this can be shorter telomere length (TL). Some data suggest that lithium may exert a protective effect against telomere shortening. The study aimed to compare the TL between patients with BD and control subjects. The effect of long-term lithium treatment was also assessed. METHODS The study group comprised 41 patients with BD, including 29 patients treated longitudinally with lithium (mean 16.5 years) and 20 healthy people. TL was assessed by the quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). RESULTS In the control group, the TL was significantly longer in males than in females. Male bipolar patients had significantly shorter TL compared with the control male group. In bipolar patients, there was no correlation between TL and duration of treatment. The TL was negatively correlated with age in male bipolar patients. CONCLUSIONS The study did not confirm the lithium effect on TL in bipolar patients. TL showed gender differences, being shorter in BD males, compared to control males, and longer in healthy males, compared to control females.
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Mini-review: The anti-aging effects of lithium in bipolar disorder. Neurosci Lett 2021; 759:136051. [PMID: 34139318 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2021.136051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Revised: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The medical use of lithium has grown since its initial introduction in the 1800s as a treatment for gout. Today, the divalent cation remains as the pharmacological gold standard in treatment of bipolar disorder (BD) with strong mood stabilizing effects. Lithium has demonstrated efficacy in the treatment of acute affective episodes, in the reduction of affective episode recurrence, and in significantly decreasing the risk of suicide in patients. BD has been consistently associated with clinical signs of accelerated aging, including increased rates of age-related diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, malignancies, and diabetes mellitus. This clinical scenario parallels accelerated aging mechanisms observed on a molecular basis, with studies reporting shortened telomeres, increased oxidative stress, and accelerated epigenetic aging in patients with BD compared to controls. Lithium has proved useful as a potential agent in slowing down this accelerated aging process in BD, potentially reversing effects induced by the disorder. This mini-review summarizes findings of anti-aging mechanisms associated with lithium use and provides a discussion of the clinical implications and perspectives of this evolving field. Despite many promising results, more studies are warranted in order to elucidate the exact mechanism by which lithium may act as an anti-aging agent and the extent to which these mechanisms are relevant to its mood stabilizing properties in BD.
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