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Hemby SE, McIntosh S. Chronic haloperidol administration downregulates select BDNF transcript and protein levels in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex of rhesus monkeys. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1054506. [PMID: 36816400 PMCID: PMC9932326 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1054506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Post-mortem studies in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampal formation from schizophrenia patients have revealed significant disruptions in the expression molecules associated with cytoarchitecture, synaptic structure, function, and plasticity, known to be regulated in part by brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Interestingly, several studies using postmortem brain tissue from individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia have revealed a significant reduction in BDNF mRNA and protein levels in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), hippocampus and related areas; however, differentiating the effects of illness from antipsychotic history has remained difficult. We hypothesized that chronic antipsychotic treatment may contribute to the altered BDNF mRNA and protein expression observed in post-mortem brains of individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia. To address the influence of antipsychotic administration on BDNF expression in the primate brain, rhesus monkeys orally administered haloperidol, clozapine, or vehicle twice daily for 180 days. We found BDNF splice variants 4 and 5 in the DLPFC and variant 2 in the EC were significantly down-regulated following chronic administration of haloperidol. In addition, proBDNF and mature BDNF expression in the DLPFC, but not the EC, were significantly reduced. Based on the known regulation of BDNF expression by BDNF-AS, we assessed the expression of this lncRNA and found expression was significantly upregulated in the DLPFC, but not EC. The results of the present study provide evidence of haloperidol-induced regulation of BDNF mRNA and protein expression in the DLFPC and suggest an important role for BDNF-AS in this regulation. Given the role of BDNF in synaptic plasticity, neuronal survival and maintenance, aberrant expression induced by haloperidol likely has significant ramifications for neuronal populations and circuits in primate cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott E Hemby
- Department of Basic Pharmaceutical Sciences, Fred Wilson School of Pharmacy, High Point University, High Point, NC, United States
| | - Scot McIntosh
- Department of Basic Pharmaceutical Sciences, Fred Wilson School of Pharmacy, High Point University, High Point, NC, United States
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2
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Xu X, Song L, Kringel R, Hanganu-Opatz IL. Developmental decrease of entorhinal-hippocampal communication in immune-challenged DISC1 knockdown mice. Nat Commun 2021; 12:6810. [PMID: 34815409 PMCID: PMC8611076 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-27114-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The prefrontal-hippocampal dysfunction that underlies cognitive deficits in mental disorders emerges during early development. The lateral entorhinal cortex (LEC) is tightly interconnected with both prefrontal cortex (PFC) and hippocampus (HP), yet its contribution to the early dysfunction is fully unknown. Here we show that mice that mimic the dual genetic (G) -environmental (E) etiology (GE mice) of psychiatric risk have poor LEC-dependent recognition memory at pre-juvenile age and abnormal communication within LEC-HP-PFC networks throughout development. These functional and behavioral deficits relate to sparser projections from LEC to CA1 and decreased efficiency of axonal terminals to activate the hippocampal circuits in neonatal GE mice. In contrast, the direct entorhinal drive to PFC is not affected, yet the PFC is indirectly compromised, as target of the under-activated HP. Thus, the entorhinal-hippocampal circuit is already impaired from neonatal age on in GE mice. The authors show that mice that mimic the dual genetic-environmental etiology of psychiatric risk have poor lateral entorhinal cortex-dependent recognition memory already at pre-juvenile age and abnormal communication within LECHP-PFC networks throughout development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaxia Xu
- Institute of Developmental Neurophysiology, Center for Molecular Neurobiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251, Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Lingzhen Song
- Institute of Developmental Neurophysiology, Center for Molecular Neurobiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Rebecca Kringel
- Institute of Developmental Neurophysiology, Center for Molecular Neurobiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Ileana L Hanganu-Opatz
- Institute of Developmental Neurophysiology, Center for Molecular Neurobiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251, Hamburg, Germany.
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Kubo KI. Increased densities of white matter neurons as a cross-disease feature of neuropsychiatric disorders. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2020; 74:166-175. [PMID: 31788900 DOI: 10.1111/pcn.12962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2019] [Revised: 11/22/2019] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
While neurons of the human cerebral cortex are mainly distributed in the gray matter, the white matter (WM) also contains some excitatory and inhibitory neurons, so-called WM neurons. Studies on the cytoarchitectural alterations in the brains of patients with neuropsychiatric disorders have repeatedly reported increased densities of the WM neurons in a proportion of patients with schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorder. Although some studies have demonstrated increased densities of superficial WM neurons, others have demonstrated increased densities of deep WM neurons and increased WM neuron densities can be considered as one of the cross-disease features of neuropsychiatric disorders. Nevertheless, what actually causes the increase in the densities of the WM neurons still remains under debate, and several hypothetical mechanisms have been proposed. The WM neurons in normal brains are considered as remnants of the subplate neurons, which represent a transient cytoarchitectural zone present during development of the mammalian neocortex; it has been suggested that increased densities of the WM neurons could result from inappropriate apoptosis of the subplate neurons in the brains of patients with neuropsychiatric disorders. On the other hand, recent experimental studies have demonstrated that genetic and environmental factors that enhance the risk of development of neuropsychiatric disorders could cause altered distribution of neurons in the WM. To understand the pathophysiology underlying the increased densities of the WM neurons, it is important to investigate the cellular characteristics of the WM neurons in the brains of both normal subjects and patients with neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ken-Ichiro Kubo
- Department of Anatomy, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Anatomy, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
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Schmidt MJ, Mirnics K. Neurodevelopment, GABA system dysfunction, and schizophrenia. Neuropsychopharmacology 2015; 40:190-206. [PMID: 24759129 PMCID: PMC4262918 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2014.95] [Citation(s) in RCA: 147] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2014] [Revised: 04/03/2014] [Accepted: 04/11/2014] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The origins of schizophrenia have eluded clinicians and researchers since Kraepelin and Bleuler began documenting their findings. However, large clinical research efforts in recent decades have identified numerous genetic and environmental risk factors for schizophrenia. The combined data strongly support the neurodevelopmental hypothesis of schizophrenia and underscore the importance of the common converging effects of diverse insults. In this review, we discuss the evidence that genetic and environmental risk factors that predispose to schizophrenia disrupt the development and normal functioning of the GABAergic system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin J Schmidt
- Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Karoly Mirnics
- Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
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5
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Flores G, Atzori M. The Potential of Cerebrolysin in the Treatment of Schizophrenia. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014. [DOI: 10.4236/pp.2014.57079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Jose SP, Sharma E, Narayanaswamy JC, Rajendran V, Kalmady SV, Rao NP, Venkatasubramanian G, Gangadhar BN. Entorhinal Cortex Volume in Antipsychotic-naïve Schizophrenia. Indian J Psychol Med 2012; 34:164-9. [PMID: 23162194 PMCID: PMC3498781 DOI: 10.4103/0253-7176.101787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Entorhinal cortex (ERC), a multimodal sensory relay station for the hippocampus, is critically involved in learning, emotion, and novelty detection. One of the pathogenetic mechanistic bases in schizophrenia is proposed to involve aberrant information processing in the ERC. Several studies have looked at cytoarchitectural and morphometric changes in the ERC, but results have been inconsistent possibly due to the potential confounding effects of antipsychotic treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS In this study, we have examined the entorhinal cortex volume in antipsychotic-naïve schizophrenia patients (n=40; M:F=22:18) in comparison with age, sex, and handedness, matched (as a group) with healthy subjects (n=42; M:F=25:17) using a valid method. 3-Tesla MR images with 1-mm sections were used and the data was analyzed using the SPSS software. RESULTS Female schizophrenia patients (1.25±0.22 mL) showed significant volume deficit in the right ERC in comparison with female healthy controls (1.45±0.34 mL) (F=4.9; P=0.03), after controlling for the potential confounding effects of intracranial volume. However, male patients did not differ from male controls. The left ERC volume did not differ between patients and controls. CONCLUSIONS Consistent with the findings of a few earlier studies we found a reduction in the right ERC volume in patients. However, this was limited to women. Contextually, our study finding supports the role for ERC deficit in schizophrenia pathogenesis - perhaps mediated through aberrant novelty detection. Sex-differential observation of ERC volume deficit in schizophrenia needs further studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sam P. Jose
- Department of Psychiatry, The Schizophrenia Clinic, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| | - Eesha Sharma
- Department of Psychiatry, The Schizophrenia Clinic, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
- Translational Psychiatry Laboratory, Cognitive Neurobiology Division, Neurobiology Research Center, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| | - Janardhanan C. Narayanaswamy
- Department of Psychiatry, The Schizophrenia Clinic, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
- Translational Psychiatry Laboratory, Cognitive Neurobiology Division, Neurobiology Research Center, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| | - Vishnurajan Rajendran
- Translational Psychiatry Laboratory, Cognitive Neurobiology Division, Neurobiology Research Center, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| | - Sunil V. Kalmady
- Department of Psychiatry, The Schizophrenia Clinic, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
- Translational Psychiatry Laboratory, Cognitive Neurobiology Division, Neurobiology Research Center, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| | - Naren P. Rao
- Department of Psychiatry, The Schizophrenia Clinic, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
- Translational Psychiatry Laboratory, Cognitive Neurobiology Division, Neurobiology Research Center, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| | - Ganesan Venkatasubramanian
- Department of Psychiatry, The Schizophrenia Clinic, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
- Translational Psychiatry Laboratory, Cognitive Neurobiology Division, Neurobiology Research Center, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| | - Bangalore N. Gangadhar
- Department of Psychiatry, The Schizophrenia Clinic, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
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Whitford TJ, Savadjiev P, Kubicki M, O'Donnell LJ, Terry DP, Bouix S, Westin CF, Schneiderman JS, Bobrow L, Rausch AC, Niznikiewicz M, Nestor PG, Pantelis C, Wood SJ, McCarley RW, Shenton ME. Fiber geometry in the corpus callosum in schizophrenia: evidence for transcallosal misconnection. Schizophr Res 2011; 132:69-74. [PMID: 21831601 PMCID: PMC3172336 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2011.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2010] [Revised: 07/05/2011] [Accepted: 07/09/2011] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Structural abnormalities in the callosal fibers connecting the heteromodal association areas of the prefrontal and temporoparietal cortices bilaterally have been suggested to play a role in the etiology of schizophrenia. AIMS To investigate for geometric abnormalities in these callosal fibers in schizophrenia patients by using a novel Diffusion-Tensor Imaging (DTI) metric of fiber geometry named Shape-Normalized Dispersion (SHD). METHODS DTIs (3T, 51 gradient directions, 1.7mm isotropic voxels) were acquired from 26 schizophrenia patients and 23 matched healthy controls. The prefrontal and temporoparietal fibers of the corpus callosum were extracted by means of whole-brain tractography, and their mean SHD calculated. RESULTS The schizophrenia patients exhibited subnormal levels of SHD in the prefrontal callosal fibers when controlling for between-group differences in Fractional Anisotropy. Reduced SHD could reflect either irregularly turbulent or inhomogeneously distributed fiber trajectories in the corpus callosum. CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that the transcallosal misconnectivity thought to be associated with schizophrenia could reflect abnormalities in fiber geometry. These abnormalities in fiber geometry could potentially be underpinned by neurodevelopmental irregularities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas J. Whitford
- Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA,Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne and Melbourne Heath, Melbourne, VIC, Australia, Corresponding Author: Thomas J. Whitford, Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 1249 Boylston St, Boston, MA, 02215, USA, Phone: +1 617 525 1059, Fax: +1 617 525 6150,
| | - Peter Savadjiev
- Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Marek Kubicki
- Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA,Clinical Neuroscience Division, Laboratory of Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Veterans Affairs (VA) Boston Healthcare System, Harvard Medical School Brockton, MA, USA
| | - Lauren J. O'Donnell
- Laboratory of Mathematics in Imaging, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA,Golby Laboratory, Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Douglas P. Terry
- Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sylvain Bouix
- Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA,Clinical Neuroscience Division, Laboratory of Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Veterans Affairs (VA) Boston Healthcare System, Harvard Medical School Brockton, MA, USA
| | - Carl-Fredrik Westin
- Laboratory of Mathematics in Imaging, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jason S. Schneiderman
- Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Laurel Bobrow
- Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Andrew C. Rausch
- Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Margaret Niznikiewicz
- Clinical Neuroscience Division, Laboratory of Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Veterans Affairs (VA) Boston Healthcare System, Harvard Medical School Brockton, MA, USA
| | - Paul G. Nestor
- Clinical Neuroscience Division, Laboratory of Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Veterans Affairs (VA) Boston Healthcare System, Harvard Medical School Brockton, MA, USA,College of Liberal Arts, University of Massachusetts – Boston, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Christos Pantelis
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne and Melbourne Heath, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Stephen J. Wood
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne and Melbourne Heath, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Robert W. McCarley
- Clinical Neuroscience Division, Laboratory of Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Veterans Affairs (VA) Boston Healthcare System, Harvard Medical School Brockton, MA, USA
| | - Martha E. Shenton
- Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA,Clinical Neuroscience Division, Laboratory of Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Veterans Affairs (VA) Boston Healthcare System, Harvard Medical School Brockton, MA, USA
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8
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Berretta S. Extracellular matrix abnormalities in schizophrenia. Neuropharmacology 2011; 62:1584-97. [PMID: 21856318 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2011.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 128] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2011] [Revised: 08/05/2011] [Accepted: 08/08/2011] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Emerging evidence points to the involvement of the brain extracellular matrix (ECM) in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia (SZ). Abnormalities affecting several ECM components, including Reelin and chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs), have been described in subjects with this disease. Solid evidence supports the involvement of Reelin, an ECM glycoprotein involved in corticogenesis, synaptic functions and glutamate NMDA receptor regulation, expressed prevalently in distinct populations of GABAergic neurons, which secrete it into the ECM. Marked changes of Reelin expression in SZ have typically been reported in association with GABA-related abnormalities in subjects with SZ and bipolar disorder. Recent findings from our group point to substantial abnormalities affecting CSPGs, a main ECM component, in the amygdala and entorhinal cortex of subjects with schizophrenia, but not bipolar disorder. Striking increases of glial cells expressing CSPGs were accompanied by reductions of perineuronal nets, CSPG- and Reelin-enriched ECM aggregates enveloping distinct neuronal populations. CSPGs developmental and adult functions, including neuronal migration, axon guidance, synaptic and neurotransmission regulation are highly relevant to the pathophysiology of SZ. Together with reports of anomalies affecting several other ECM components, these findings point to the ECM as a key component of the pathology of SZ. We propose that ECM abnormalities may contribute to several aspects of the pathophysiology of this disease, including disrupted connectivity and neuronal migration, synaptic anomalies and altered GABAergic, glutamatergic and dopaminergic neurotransmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabina Berretta
- Translational Neuroscience Laboratory, Mclean Hospital, 115 Mill Street, Belmont, MA 02478, USA.
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9
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Abstract
Disrupted-in-Schizophrenia 1 (DISC1) is a strong candidate gene for schizophrenia and other mental disorders. DISC1 regulates neurodevelopmental processes including neurogenesis, neuronal migration, neurite outgrowth, and neurotransmitter signaling. Abnormal neuronal morphology and cortical architecture are seen in human postmortem brain from patients with schizophrenia. However, the etiology and development of these histological abnormalities remain unclear. We analyzed the histology of two Disc1 mutant mice with point mutations (Q31L and L100P) and found a relative reduction in neuron number, decreased neurogenesis, and altered neuron distribution compared to wild-type littermates. Frontal cortical neurons have shorter dendrites and decreased surface area and spine density. Overall, the histology of Disc1 mutant mouse cortex is reminiscent of the findings in schizophrenia. These results provide further evidence that Disc1 participates in cortical development, including neurogenesis and neuron migration.
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White matter neuron alterations in schizophrenia and related disorders. Int J Dev Neurosci 2010; 29:325-34. [PMID: 20691252 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2010.07.236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2010] [Revised: 07/23/2010] [Accepted: 07/26/2010] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Increased density and altered spatial distribution of subcortical white matter neurons (WMNs) represents one of the more well replicated cellular alterations found in schizophrenia and related disease. In many of the affected cases, the underlying genetic risk architecture for these WMN abnormalities remains unknown. Increased density of neurons immunoreactive for Microtubule-Associated Protein 2 (MAP2) and Neuronal Nuclear Antigen (NeuN) have been reported by independent studies, though there are negative reports as well; additionally, group differences in some of the studies appear to be driven by a small subset of cases. Alterations in markers for inhibitory (GABAergic) neurons have also been described. For example, downregulation of neuropeptide Y (NPY) and nitric oxide synthase (NOS1) in inhibitory WMN positioned at the gray/white matter border, as well as altered spatial distribution, have been reported. While increased density of WMN has been suggested to reflect disturbance of neurodevelopmental processes, including neuronal migration, neurogenesis, and cell death, alternative hypotheses--such as an adaptive response to microglial activation in mature CNS, as has been described in multiple sclerosis--should also be considered. We argue that larger scale studies involving hundreds of postmortem specimens will be necessary in order to clearly establish the subset of subjects affected. Additionally, these larger cohorts could make it feasible to connect the cellular pathology to environmental and genetic factors implicated in schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and autism. These could include the 22q11 deletion (Velocardiofacial/DiGeorge) syndrome, which in some cases is associated with neuronal ectopias in white matter.
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Pantazopoulos H, Woo TUW, Lim MP, Lange N, Berretta S. Extracellular matrix-glial abnormalities in the amygdala and entorhinal cortex of subjects diagnosed with schizophrenia. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010; 67:155-66. [PMID: 20124115 DOI: 10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2009.196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 215] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
CONTEXT Chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs), a main component of the brain extracellular matrix, regulate developmental and adult neural functions that are highly relevant to the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. Such functions, together with marked expression of CSPGs in astrocytes within the normal human amygdala and evidence of a disruption of astrocytic functions in this disease, point to involvement of CSPG-glial interactions in schizophrenia. HYPOTHESIS Chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan-related abnormalities involve glial cells and extracellular matrix pericellular aggregates (perineuronal nets) in the amygdala and entorhinal cortex of subjects with schizophrenia. DESIGN Postmortem case-control study. SETTING The Translational Neuroscience Laboratory at McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School. Specimens were obtained from the Harvard Brain Tissue Resource Center at McLean Hospital. PARTICIPANTS Two separate cohorts of healthy control (n = 15; n = 10) and schizophrenic (n = 11; n = 10) subjects and a cohort of subjects with bipolar disorder (n = 11). INTERVENTIONS Quantitative, immunocytological, and histological postmortem investigations. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Numerical densities of CSPG-positive glial cells and perineuronal nets, glial fibrillary acidic protein-positive astrocytes, and total numbers of parvalbumin-positive neurons in the deep amygdala nuclei and entorhinal cortex. RESULTS In schizophrenia, massive increases in CSPG-positive glial cells were detected in the deep amygdala nuclei (419%-1162%) and entorhinal cortex (layer II; 480%-1560%). Perineuronal nets were reduced in the lateral nucleus of the amygdala and lateral entorhinal cortex (layer II). Numerical densities of glial fibrillary acidic protein-positive glial cells and total numbers of parvalbumin-positive neurons were unaltered. Changes in CSPG-positive elements were negligible in subjects with bipolar disorder. CONCLUSIONS Marked changes in functionally relevant molecules in schizophrenia point to a pivotal role for extracellular matrix-glial interactions in the pathogenesis of this disease. Disruption of these interactions, unsuspected thus far, may represent a unifying factor contributing to disturbances of neuronal migration, synaptic connectivity, and GABAergic, glutamatergic, and dopaminergic neurotransmission in schizophrenia. The lack of CSPG abnormalities in bipolar disorder points to a distinctive aspect of the pathophysiology of schizophrenia in key medial temporal lobe regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harry Pantazopoulos
- Translational Neuroscience Laboratory, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, Massachusetts, USA
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12
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Association between myelin basic protein expression and left entorhinal cortex pre-alpha cell layer disorganization in schizophrenia. Brain Res 2009; 1301:126-34. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2009.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2009] [Revised: 09/02/2009] [Accepted: 09/03/2009] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Schmitt A, Parlapani E, Bauer M, Heinsen H, Falkai P. Is brain banking of psychiatric cases valuable for neurobiological research? Clinics (Sao Paulo) 2008; 63:255-66. [PMID: 18438581 PMCID: PMC2664212 DOI: 10.1590/s1807-59322008000200015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2008] [Accepted: 02/07/2008] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
It is widely accepted that neurobiological abnormalities underlie the symptoms of psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia and unipolar or bipolar affective disorders. New molecular methods, computer-assisted quantification techniques and neurobiological investigation methods that can be applied to the human brain are all used in post-mortem investigations of psychiatric disorders. The following article describes modern quantitative methods and recent post-mortem findings in schizophrenia and affective disorders. Using our brain bank as an example, necessary considerations of modern brain banking are addressed such as ethical considerations, clinical work-up, preparation techniques and the organization of a brain bank, the value of modern brain banking for investigations of psychiatric disorders is summarized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Schmitt
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Goettingen, Germany.
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Pantazopoulos H, Murray EA, Berretta S. Total number, distribution, and phenotype of cells expressing chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans in the normal human amygdala. Brain Res 2008; 1207:84-95. [PMID: 18374308 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2008.02.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2007] [Revised: 02/07/2008] [Accepted: 02/08/2008] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs) are a key structural component of the brain extracellular matrix. They are involved in critical neurodevelopmental functions and are one of the main components of pericellular aggregates known as perineuronal nets. As a step toward investigating their functional and pathophysiological roles in the human amygdala, we assessed the pattern of CSPG expression in the normal human amygdala using wisteria floribunda agglutinin (WFA) lectin histochemistry. Total numbers of WFA-labeled elements were measured in the lateral (LN), basal (BN), accessory basal (ABN) and cortical (CO) nuclei of the amygdala from 15 normal adult human subjects. For interspecies qualitative comparison, we also investigated the pattern of WFA labeling in the amygdala of naïve rats (n=32) and rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta; n=6). In human amygdala, WFA lectin histochemistry resulted in labeling of perineuronal nets and cells with clear glial morphology, while neurons did not show WFA labeling. Total numbers of WFA-labeled glial cells showed high interindividual variability. These cells aggregated in clusters with a consistent between-subjects spatial distribution. In a subset of human subjects (n=5), dual color fluorescence using an antibody raised against glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and WFA showed that the majority (93.7%) of WFA-labeled glial cells correspond to astrocytes. In rat and monkey amygdala, WFA histochemistry labeled perineuronal nets, but not glial cells. These results suggest that astrocytes are the main cell type expressing CSPGs in the adult human amygdala. Their highly segregated distribution pattern suggests that these cells serve specialized functions within human amygdalar nuclei.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harry Pantazopoulos
- Translational Neuroscience Laboratory, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA 02478, USA
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15
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Pantazopoulos H, Lange N, Baldessarini RJ, Berretta S. Parvalbumin neurons in the entorhinal cortex of subjects diagnosed with bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. Biol Psychiatry 2007; 61:640-52. [PMID: 16950219 PMCID: PMC1964505 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2006.04.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2006] [Revised: 04/26/2006] [Accepted: 04/27/2006] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Growing evidence indicates that the entorhinal cortex (ECx) might be affected in schizophrenia (SZ) and bipolar disorder (BD). To test whether distinct interneuronal subpopulations might be altered, numbers of parvalbumin-immunoreactive (PVB-IR) neurons were measured in the ECx of BD and SZ subjects. These neurons play a pivotal role within ECx intrinsic circuits. METHODS Numbers, numerical density, and soma size of PVB-IR neurons were measured in the ECx of normal control (n = 16), BD (n = 10), and SZ (n = 10) subjects. The volume of the ECx was measured in Nissl-stained sections. RESULTS In BD, decreases of total numbers (p = .02) and numerical densities (p = .01) of PVB-IR neurons were detected in the ECx. Within distinct subregions, reductions were detected in the superficial layers of the lateral (p = .02), intermediate (p = .04), and caudal (p = .01) ECx. In SZ, total numbers and numerical densities were not altered. A reduction of soma size was present in the intermediate ECx (p = .01). Volume was unaffected in either disorder. CONCLUSIONS In BD, a decrease of PVB-IR neurons may alter intrinsic inhibitory networks within the superficial layers of the ECx. The likely consequence is a disruption of integration and transfer of information from the cerebral cortex to the hippocampus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harry Pantazopoulos
- Translational Neuroscience Laboratory, McLean Hospital, Belmont, Massachusetts 02478, USA
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