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Yang H, Tian Q, Luan L, Yang M, Li C, Zhang X. NGF-β and BDNF levels are altered in male patients with chronic schizophrenia: effects on clinical symptoms. BMC Psychiatry 2025; 25:240. [PMID: 40082848 PMCID: PMC11908022 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-025-06685-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2025] [Indexed: 03/16/2025] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Schizophrenia, a severe mental disorder with complex pathophysiology, involves neurotrophic factors, which play crucial roles in neurodevelopment and neuroplasticity. This study investigated NGF-β and BDNF levels in chronic schizophrenia and their association with clinical symptoms, cognitive function, and 1,25(OH)₂D levels. METHODS In this cross-sectional study, 72 male patients with chronic schizophrenia and 70 matched healthy controls were enrolled. Psychopathological symptoms were assessed using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), and cognitive function was evaluated using the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS). The serum levels of NGF-β, BDNF, and 1,25(OH)₂D were measured. RESULTS Serum levels of NGF-β (F = 35.239, P < 0.001) and BDNF (F = 12.669, P < 0.001) were significantly decreased in patients with chronic schizophrenia compared to healthy controls. NGF-β levels were negatively correlated with PANSS negative symptoms (beta = -0.205, t = -2.098, P = 0.040) and positively correlated with 1,25(OH)₂D levels (r = 0.324, P = 0.006). Decreased serum BDNF concentrations were negatively correlated with language deficits (beta = -0.301, t = -2.762, P = 0.007). Significant associations were observed between chronic schizophrenia and reduced levels of NGF-β (B = 1.040, P < 0.001, RR = 2.829, 95% CI: 2.101-3.811) and BDNF (B = 0.526, P = 0.001, RR = 1.692, 95% CI: 1.241-2.306). CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicated that NGF-β and BDNF levels were altered in chronic schizophrenia and were associated with clinical symptoms and vitamin D metabolism. These results provided new insight into the etiology of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haidong Yang
- Department of Psychiatry, The Fourth People's Hospital of Lianyungang, The Affiliated KangDa College of Nanjing Medical University, Lianyungang, 222003, P.R. China
- Suzhou Psychiatric Hospital, Institute of Mental Health, The Affiliated Guangji Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215137, P.R. China
| | - Qing Tian
- Suzhou Psychiatric Hospital, Institute of Mental Health, The Affiliated Guangji Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215137, P.R. China
| | - Lingshu Luan
- Department of Psychiatry, The Fourth People's Hospital of Lianyungang, The Affiliated KangDa College of Nanjing Medical University, Lianyungang, 222003, P.R. China
- Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, P.R. China
| | - Man Yang
- Department of Psychiatry, The Fourth People's Hospital of Lianyungang, The Affiliated KangDa College of Nanjing Medical University, Lianyungang, 222003, P.R. China
| | - Chuanwei Li
- Suzhou Psychiatric Hospital, Institute of Mental Health, The Affiliated Guangji Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215137, P.R. China.
| | - Xiaobin Zhang
- Suzhou Psychiatric Hospital, Institute of Mental Health, The Affiliated Guangji Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215137, P.R. China.
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Tancheva L, Kalfin R, Minchev B, Uzunova D, Tasheva K, Tsvetanova E, Georgieva A, Alexandrova A, Stefanova M, Solak A, Lazarova M, Hodzhev Y, Grigorova V, Yarkov D, Petkova-Kirova P. Memory Recovery Effect of a New Bioactive Innovative Combination in Rats with Experimental Dementia. Antioxidants (Basel) 2023; 12:2050. [PMID: 38136170 PMCID: PMC10740861 DOI: 10.3390/antiox12122050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease manifests as a complex pathological condition, with neuroinflammation, oxidative stress and cholinergic dysfunction being a few of the many pathological changes. Due to the complexity of the disease, current therapeutic strategies aim at a multitargeted approach, often relying on a combination of substances with versatile and complementary effects. In the present study, a unique combination of α-lipoic acid, citicoline, extracts of leaves from olive tree and green tea, vitamin D3, selenium and an immune-supporting complex was tested in scopolamine-induced dementia in rats. Using behavioral and biochemical methods, we assessed the effects of the combination on learning and memory, and elucidated the mechanisms of these effects. Our results showed that, compared to its components, the experimental combination was most efficient in improving short- and long-term memory as assessed by the step-through method as well as spatial memory as assessed by T-maze and Barnes maze underlined by decreases in AChE activity (p < 0.05) and LPO (p < 0.001), increases in SOD activity in the cortex (p < 0.05) and increases in catalase (p < 0.05) and GPx (p < 0.01) activities and BDNF (p < 0.001) and pCREB (p < 0.05) levels in the hippocampus. No significant histopathological changes or blood parameter changes were detected, making the experimental combination an effective and safe candidate in a multitargeted treatment of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lyubka Tancheva
- Institute of Neurobiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str. 23, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria; (L.T.); (B.M.); (D.U.); (E.T.); (A.G.); (A.A.); (M.S.); (A.S.); (M.L.)
| | - Reni Kalfin
- Institute of Neurobiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str. 23, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria; (L.T.); (B.M.); (D.U.); (E.T.); (A.G.); (A.A.); (M.S.); (A.S.); (M.L.)
- Department of Healthcare, South-West University “Neofit Rilski”, Ivan Mihailov Str. 66, 2700 Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria
| | - Borislav Minchev
- Institute of Neurobiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str. 23, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria; (L.T.); (B.M.); (D.U.); (E.T.); (A.G.); (A.A.); (M.S.); (A.S.); (M.L.)
| | - Diamara Uzunova
- Institute of Neurobiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str. 23, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria; (L.T.); (B.M.); (D.U.); (E.T.); (A.G.); (A.A.); (M.S.); (A.S.); (M.L.)
| | - Krasimira Tasheva
- Institute of Plant Physiology and Genetics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str. 21, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria;
| | - Elina Tsvetanova
- Institute of Neurobiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str. 23, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria; (L.T.); (B.M.); (D.U.); (E.T.); (A.G.); (A.A.); (M.S.); (A.S.); (M.L.)
| | - Almira Georgieva
- Institute of Neurobiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str. 23, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria; (L.T.); (B.M.); (D.U.); (E.T.); (A.G.); (A.A.); (M.S.); (A.S.); (M.L.)
| | - Albena Alexandrova
- Institute of Neurobiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str. 23, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria; (L.T.); (B.M.); (D.U.); (E.T.); (A.G.); (A.A.); (M.S.); (A.S.); (M.L.)
- National Sports Academy, Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, Acad. S. Mladenov Str. 21, 1700 Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Miroslava Stefanova
- Institute of Neurobiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str. 23, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria; (L.T.); (B.M.); (D.U.); (E.T.); (A.G.); (A.A.); (M.S.); (A.S.); (M.L.)
| | - Ayten Solak
- Institute of Neurobiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str. 23, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria; (L.T.); (B.M.); (D.U.); (E.T.); (A.G.); (A.A.); (M.S.); (A.S.); (M.L.)
- Institute of Cryobiology and Food Technologies, Cherni Vrah Blvd 53, 1407 Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Maria Lazarova
- Institute of Neurobiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str. 23, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria; (L.T.); (B.M.); (D.U.); (E.T.); (A.G.); (A.A.); (M.S.); (A.S.); (M.L.)
| | - Yordan Hodzhev
- National Center of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Yanko Sakazov Blvd 26, 1504 Sofia, Bulgaria;
| | - Valya Grigorova
- Institute of Neurobiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str. 23, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria; (L.T.); (B.M.); (D.U.); (E.T.); (A.G.); (A.A.); (M.S.); (A.S.); (M.L.)
| | - Dobri Yarkov
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Trakia University, 6000 Stara Zagora, Bulgaria;
| | - Polina Petkova-Kirova
- Institute of Neurobiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str. 23, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria; (L.T.); (B.M.); (D.U.); (E.T.); (A.G.); (A.A.); (M.S.); (A.S.); (M.L.)
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Harper KM, Harp SJ, Moy SS. Prenatal stress unmasks behavioral phenotypes in genetic mouse models of neurodevelopmental disorders. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 17:1271225. [PMID: 37809038 PMCID: PMC10556231 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1271225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) are complex conditions characterized by heterogeneous clinical profiles and symptoms that arise in infancy and childhood. NDDs are often attributed to a complicated interaction between genetic risk and environmental factors, suggesting a need for preclinical models reflecting the combined impact of heritable susceptibility and environmental effects. A notable advantage of "two-hit" models is the power to reveal underlying vulnerability that may not be detected in studies employing only genetic or environmental alterations. In this review, we summarize existing literature that investigates detrimental interactions between prenatal stress (PNS) and genes associated with NDDs, with a focus on behavioral phenotyping approaches in mouse models. A challenge in determining the overall role of PNS exposure in genetic models is the diversity of approaches for inducing stress, variability in developmental timepoints for exposure, and differences in phenotyping regimens across laboratories. Identification of optimal stress protocols and critical windows for developmental effects would greatly improve the use of PNS in gene × environment mouse models of NDDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn M. Harper
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Samuel J. Harp
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Sheryl S. Moy
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
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Wang SS, Lu AX, Li WH, Zhang H, Hu CP, Liu JX, Pan H, Wu MQ, Xu X, Yan CH, Gao ZY. Effects of food-borne cholesterol supplementation on lead-induced neurodevelopmental impairments of rats based on BDNF signaling pathway and cholesterol metabolism. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2023; 259:115026. [PMID: 37210997 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.115026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Revised: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Despite the ubiquity and prevalence of lead (Pb) in the environment and industry, the mechanism of lead-induced neurotoxicity in the brain remains unclear, let alone its prevention and treatment. In this study, we hypothesized that exogenous cholesterol supplementation acts as an effective remedy for lead-induced neurodevelopmental impairments caused by lead. Forty 21-day-old male rats were randomly divided into four groups and administered 0.1 % lead water and/or 2 % cholesterol-containing feed for 30 d. Ultimately, rats in the lead group lost weight, accompanied by spatial learning and memory impairments as verified by the Morris water maze test, in which the escape latency of rats was prolonged, and the number of crossings in the target platform and the residence time in the target quadrant were significantly diminished compared to the control group. Hematoxylin-Eosin (H&E) staining and Nissl staining illustrated that typical pathological morphology occurred in the brain tissue of the lead group, where the tissue structure was loose, the number of hippocampal neurons and granulosa cells decreased significantly and were arranged loosely, along with enlarged intercellular space, light matrix staining, and decline in Nissl bodies. In addition, inflammatory response and oxidative stress were significantly induced by lead. Immunofluorescence experiments showed apparent activation of astrocytes and microglia, followed by the enhancement of TNF-α and IL-β levels. Moreover, the MDA content in the lead group was elevated dramatically, whereas the activities of SOD and GSH were significantly inhibited. As for the mechanism, western blot and qRT-PCR experiments were performed, where lead could significantly inhibit the BDNF-TrkB signaling pathway, lowering the protein expression of BDNF and TrkB. Cholesterol metabolism was also affected by lead exposure, in which cholesterol metabolism-related protein expression and gene transcription, including SREBP2, HMGCR, and LDLR, were downregulated. However, cholesterol supplementation efficiently detoxified the negative effects of lead-induced neurotoxicity, reversing the inflammatory response, oxidative stress, inactivation of the BDNF signaling pathway, and imbalance of cholesterol metabolism, thus improving the learning and memory ability of rats. In brief, our study demonstrated that cholesterol supplementation could ameliorate the deficiency of learning and memory induced by lead, which is closely associated with the initiation of the BDNF/TrkB signaling pathway and regulation of cholesterol metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Su-Su Wang
- Ministry of Education-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - An-Xin Lu
- Ministry of Education-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Wan-He Li
- Ministry of Education-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Hong Zhang
- Ministry of Education-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Chun-Ping Hu
- Ministry of Education-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jun-Xia Liu
- Ministry of Education-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Hui Pan
- Ministry of Education-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Mei-Qin Wu
- Ministry of Education-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xi Xu
- Ministry of Education-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Chong-Huai Yan
- Ministry of Education-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
| | - Zhen-Yan Gao
- Department of Gynecology & Obstetrics, Xinhua Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, China.
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Wang SS, Xu X, Lu AX, Li WH, Liu JX, Liu C, Yan CH. Amelioration of cholesterol sulfate for lead-induced CTX cell apoptosis based on BDNF signaling pathway mediated cholesterol metabolism. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2022; 248:114307. [PMID: 36423370 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.114307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Revised: 11/12/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Lead (Pb), as a deleterious heavy metal, ubiquitously exists in environment and industry, which engenders multi-organ disfunction, especially the brain of infants who are vulnerable to attack from lead-induced neurotoxicity. Although cholesterol sulfate (CS) is crucial constituent of cell membranes and precursor of neurosteroids, which maintains the function and survival of neurons, the role of CS in lead-induced neurological damage still remains incomplete. In this work, Rat Brain Astrocytes cell line (CTX cells) was applied into exploration that protective effects of CS on CTX cell apoptosis induced by lead via the regulation of BDNF/TrkB signaling pathway mediated cholesterol metabolism. We found that CTX cells exposed to lead manifested apparent cytotoxicity, where the viability of CTX cells was significantly suppressed, accompanied with the elevation of apoptosis, in response to a trend towards increases in reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and pro-apoptotic protein Cleaved-caspase3, synchronized with the decline in anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2. Moreover, accumulation of lead in CTX cells showed a dose-dependent increase, and meanwhile, decrements in cholesterol content occurred along with increase in lead exposure, in which expressions of cholesterol metabolism related proteins and transcriptions of its genes (SREBP2, LDLR, and HMGCR) were diminished. Furthermore, BDNF signaling pathway was obviously blocked after lead exposure, down-regulating expressions of proteins BDNF and TrkB. However, pretreatment with CS detoxified the negative impacts of lead-invoked CTX cell damage, acting as an effective remedy for apoptosis, imbalance of cholesterol metabolism and inhibition of BDNF signaling pathway. In addition, the relationship between BDNF signaling pathway and cholesterol metabolism was further verified, in which cholesterol metabolism related proteins and genes were promoted significantly after the activation of BDNF/TrkB signaling pathway using 7,8-Dihydroxyflavone (7,8-DHF), thereby detoxifying lead-induced CTX cell injury. However, the pretreatment of TrkB inhibitor ANA-12 offset the promotion of 7,8-DHF and ultimately inhibit cholesterol metabolism. Overall, our study demonstrated that CS could initiate the BDNF/TrkB signaling pathway, regulating the cholesterol metabolism against CTX cell apoptosis invoked by lead.
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Affiliation(s)
- Su-Su Wang
- Ministry of Education-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xi Xu
- Ministry of Education-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - An-Xin Lu
- Ministry of Education-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Wan-He Li
- Ministry of Education-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering and Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Jun-Xia Liu
- Ministry of Education-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Chen Liu
- School of Public Health, Xuzhou Medical University, Jiangsu, China
| | - Chong-Huai Yan
- Ministry of Education-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
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