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Olivares-Berjaga D, Martínez-Pinteño A, Rodríguez N, Madero S, Prohens L, Martínez-Serrano I, Mas S, Morén C, Parellada E, Gassó P. Effects of the PAM of mGluR2, JNJ-46356479, on brain apoptotic protein levels in a mouse model of schizophrenia. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2024; 131:110955. [PMID: 38296154 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2024.110955] [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] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 01/28/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
Current treatment for schizophrenia (SZ) ameliorates the positive symptoms, but is inefficient in treating the negative and cognitive symptoms. The SZ glutamatergic dysfunction hypothesis has opened new avenues in the development of novel drugs targeting the glutamate storm, an inducer of progressive neuropathological changes. Positive allosteric modulators of metabotropic glutamate receptor 2 (mGluR2), such as JNJ-46356479 (JNJ), reduce the presynaptic release of glutamate, which has previously been demonstrated to attenuate glutamate- and dopamine-induced apoptosis in human neuroblastoma cell cultures. We hypothesised that JNJ treatment would modify the brain levels of apoptotic proteins in a mouse model of ketamine (KET)-induced schizophrenia. We analysed the levels of proapoptotic (caspase-3 and Bax) and antiapoptotic (Bcl-2) proteins by western blot in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus of JNJ-treated mice. JNJ attenuated apoptosis in the brain by partially restoring the levels of the antiapoptotic Bcl-2 protein, which is significantly reduced in animals exposed to KET. Additionally, a significant inverse correlation was observed between proapoptotic protein levels and behavioural deficits in the mice. Our findings suggest that JNJ may attenuate brain apoptosis in vivo, as previously described in cell cultures, providing a link between neuropathological deficits and SZ symptomatology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Albert Martínez-Pinteño
- Dept. of Basic Clinical Practice, University of Barcelona, Spain; Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Natalia Rodríguez
- Dept. of Basic Clinical Practice, University of Barcelona, Spain; Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Santiago Madero
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Spain; Barcelona Clínic Schizophrenia Unit (BCSU), Dpt. of Psychiatry, Institute of Neuroscience, Hospital Clínic of Barcelona, University of Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Llucía Prohens
- Dept. of Basic Clinical Practice, University of Barcelona, Spain.
| | | | - Sergi Mas
- Dept. of Basic Clinical Practice, University of Barcelona, Spain; Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Spain.
| | - Constanza Morén
- Dept. of Basic Clinical Practice, University of Barcelona, Spain; Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; Barcelona Clínic Schizophrenia Unit (BCSU), Dpt. of Psychiatry, Institute of Neuroscience, Hospital Clínic of Barcelona, University of Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Spain.
| | - Eduard Parellada
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Spain; Barcelona Clínic Schizophrenia Unit (BCSU), Dpt. of Psychiatry, Institute of Neuroscience, Hospital Clínic of Barcelona, University of Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Patricia Gassó
- Dept. of Basic Clinical Practice, University of Barcelona, Spain; Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Spain.
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Rice SM, Nelson B, Amminger GP, Francey SM, Phillips LJ, Simmons MB, Ross M, Yuen HP, Yung AR, O'Gorman K, McGorry PD, Wood SJ, Berger GE. An open label pilot trial of low-dose lithium for young people at ultra-high risk for psychosis. Early Interv Psychiatry 2024. [PMID: 38600049 DOI: 10.1111/eip.13526] [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: 11/07/2023] [Revised: 02/11/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
AIM Lithium, even at low doses, appears to offer neuroprotection against a wide variety of insults. In this controlled pilot, we examined the safety (i.e., side-effect profile) of lithium in a sample of young people identified at ultra-high risk (UHR) for psychosis. The secondary aim was to explore whether lithium provided a signal of clinical efficacy in reducing transition to psychosis compared with treatment as usual (TAU). METHODS Young people attending the PACE clinic at Orygen, Melbourne, were prescribed a fixed dose (450 mg) of lithium (n = 25) or received TAU (n = 78). The primary outcome examined side-effects, with transition to psychosis, functioning and measures of psychopathology assessed as secondary outcomes. RESULTS Participants in both groups were functionally compromised (lithium group GAF = 56.6; monitoring group GAF = 56.9). Side-effect assessment indicated that lithium was well-tolerated. 64% (n = 16) of participants in the lithium group were lithium-adherent to week 12. Few cases transitioned to psychosis across the study period; lithium group 4% (n = 1); monitoring group 7.7% (n = 6). There was no difference in time to transition to psychosis between the groups. No group differences were observed in other functioning and symptom domains, although all outcomes improved over time. CONCLUSIONS With a side-effect profile either comparable to, or better than UHR antipsychotic trials, lithium might be explored for further research with UHR young people. A definitive larger trial is needed to determine the efficacy of lithium in this cohort.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon M Rice
- Orygen, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Barnaby Nelson
- Orygen, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - G Paul Amminger
- Orygen, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Shona M Francey
- Orygen, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Lisa J Phillips
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Magenta B Simmons
- Orygen, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Margaret Ross
- Orygen, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Hok Pan Yuen
- Orygen, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Alison R Yung
- Orygen, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation (IMPACT), Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
- Division of Psychology and Mental Health, School of Health Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Kieran O'Gorman
- Orygen, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Patrick D McGorry
- Orygen, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Stephen J Wood
- Orygen, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Institute for Mental Health, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Gregor E Berger
- Orygen, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Psychiatry, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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Han S, Li Y, Gao J. Peripheral blood MicroRNAs as biomarkers of schizophrenia: expectations from a meta-analysis that combines deep learning methods. World J Biol Psychiatry 2024; 25:65-81. [PMID: 37703215 DOI: 10.1080/15622975.2023.2258975] [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] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Revised: 08/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This study aimed at identifying reliable differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs) for schizophrenia in blood via meta-analyses combined with deep learning methods. METHODS First, we meta-analysed published DEMs. Then, we enriched the pool of schizophrenia-associated miRNAs by applying two computational learning methods to identify candidate biomarkers and verified the results in external datasets. RESULTS In total, 27 DEMs were found to be statistically significant (p < .05). Ten candidate schizophrenia-associated miRNAs were identified through computational learning methods. The diagnostic efficiency was verified on a blood-miRNA dataset (GSE54578) with a random forest (RF) model and achieved an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.83 ± 0.14. Moreover, 855 experimentally validated target genes for these candidate miRNAs were retrieved, and 11 hub genes were identified. Enrichment analysis revealed that the main functions in which the target genes were enriched were those related to cell signalling, prenatal infections, cancers, cell deaths, oxidative stress, endocrine disorders, transcription regulation, and kinase activities. The diagnostic ability of the hub genes was reflected in a comparably good average AUC of 0.77 ± 0.09 for an external dataset (GSE38484). CONCLUSIONS A meta-analysis that combines computational and mathematical methods provides a reliable tool for identifying candidate biomarkers of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiyuan Han
- Department of Neurosurgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Yongning Li
- Department of Neurosurgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
- Department of International Medical Service, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Jun Gao
- Department of Neurosurgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
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Xu S, Hao K, Xiong Y, Xu R, Huang H, Wang H. Capsaicin alleviates neuronal apoptosis and schizophrenia-like behavioral abnormalities induced by early life stress. Schizophrenia (Heidelb) 2023; 9:77. [PMID: 37935716 PMCID: PMC10630396 DOI: 10.1038/s41537-023-00406-4] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023]
Abstract
Early life stress (ELS) is associated with the later development of schizophrenia. In the rodent model, the maternal separation (MS) stress may induce neuronal apoptosis and schizophrenia-like behavior. Although the TRPV1 agonist capsaicin (CAP) has been reported to reduce apoptosis in the central nervous system, its effect in MS models is unclear. Twenty-four hours of MS of Wistar rat pups on postnatal day (PND9) was used as an ELS. Male rats in the adult stage were the subjects of the study. CAP (1 mg/kg/day) intraperitoneal injection pretreatment was undertaken before behavioral tests for 1 week and continued during the tests. Behavioral tests included open field, novel object recognition, Barnes maze test, and pre-pulse inhibition (PPI) test. MS rats showed behavioral deficits and cognitive impairments mimicking symptoms of schizophrenia compared with controls. MS decreased the expression of TRPV1 in the frontal association cortex (FrA) and in the hippocampal CA1, CA3, and dentate gyrus (DG) regions compared with the control group resulting in the increase of pro-apoptotic proteins (BAX, Caspase3, Cleaved-Caspase3) and the decrease of anti-apoptotic proteins (Bcl-2). The number of NeuN++TUNEL+ cells increased in the MS group in the FrA, CA1, CA3, and DG compared with the control group. Neuronal and behavioral impairments of MS were reversed by treatment with CAP. Exposure to ELS may lead to increased neuronal apoptosis and impaired cognitive function with decreased TRPV1 expression in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus in adulthood. Sustained low-dose administration of CAP improved neuronal apoptosis and cognitive function. Our results provide evidence for future clinical trials of chili peppers or CAP as dietary supplements for the reversal treatment of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shilin Xu
- Department of Psychiatry, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430060, China
| | - Keke Hao
- Department of Psychiatry, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430060, China
| | - Ying Xiong
- Department of Psychiatry, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430060, China
| | - Rui Xu
- Department of Psychiatry, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430060, China
| | - Huan Huang
- Department of Psychiatry, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430060, China
| | - Huiling Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430060, China.
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, Wuhan, 430071, China.
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