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Bliźniewska-Kowalska K, Gałecki P, Szemraj J, Su KP, Chang JPC, Gałecka M. CASP3 gene expression and the role of caspase 3 in the pathogenesis of depressive disorders. BMC Psychiatry 2023; 23:656. [PMID: 37674109 PMCID: PMC10481541 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-023-05153-5] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The aim of our study was to evaluate the expression of the CASP3 gene at both mRNA and protein levels in patients with depressive disorders and to determine the impact of caspase 3 in the pathogenesis of depression; METHODS: A total of 290 subjects, including 190 depressed patients and 100 healthy controls, participated in the study. Socio-demographic and clinical data were collected, and the severity of depressive symptoms was assessed using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. Venous blood was collected and gene expression was evaluated using RT-PCR and ELISA at the mRNA and protein levels, respectively; RESULTS: The expression of the CASP3 gene was significantly lower in depressed patients compared to healthy controls at both the mRNA and protein levels. Additionally, a positive correlation was observed between CASP3 gene expression and disease duration as well as the number of depressive episodes; CONCLUSIONS: Further studies are needed to investigate the role of caspase 3 in depressive disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Piotr Gałecki
- Department of Adult Psychiatry, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland
| | - Janusz Szemraj
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland
| | - Kuan-Pin Su
- Mind-Body Interface Laboratory (MBI-Lab), Department of Psychiatry, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
- College of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
- An-Nan Hospital, China Medical University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Jane Pei-Chen Chang
- Mind-Body Interface Laboratory (MBI-Lab), Department of Psychiatry, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
- College of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
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Wu Y, Kong L, Yang A, Xin K, Lu Y, Yan X, Liu W, Zhu Y, Guo Y, Jiang X, Zhou Y, Sun Q, Tang Y, Wu F. Gray matter volume reduction in orbitofrontal cortex correlated with plasma glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) levels within major depressive disorder. Neuroimage Clin 2023; 37:103341. [PMID: 36739789 PMCID: PMC9932451 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2023.103341] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Revised: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a severe mental disorder characterized by reduced gray matter volume (GMV). To date, the pathogenesis of MDD remains unclear, but neurotrophic factors play an essential role in the pathophysiological alterations of MDD during disease development. In particular, plasma glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) has been suggested as a potential biomarker that may be associated with disease activity and neurological progression in MDD. Our study investigated whether plasma GDNF levels in MDD patients and healthy controls (HCs) are correlated with GMV alterations. METHODS We studied 54 MDD patients and 48 HCs. The effect of different diagnoses on whole-brain GMV was investigated using ANOVA (Analysis of Variance). The threshold of significance was p < 0.05, and Gaussian random-field (GRF) correction for error was used. All analyses were controlled for covariates such as ethnicity, handedness, age, and gender that could affect GMV. RESULT Compared with the HC group, the GMV in the MDD group was significantly reduced in the right inferior orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), and plasma GDNF levels were significantly higher in the MDD group than in the HC group. In the right inferior OFC, the GDNF levels were positively correlated with GMV reduction in the MDD group, whereas in the HC group, a negative correlation was observed between GDNF levels and GMV reduction. CONCLUSION Although increased production of GDNF in MDD may help repair neural damage in brain regions associated with brain disease, its repairing effects may be interfered with and hindered by underlying neuroinflammatory processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifan Wu
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Lingtao Kong
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Anqi Yang
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Kaiqi Xin
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Yihui Lu
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Xintong Yan
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Wen Liu
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Yue Zhu
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Yingrui Guo
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Xiaowei Jiang
- Brain Function Research Section, Department of Radiology, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Yifang Zhou
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Qikun Sun
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Yanqing Tang
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China; Department of Geriatric Medicine, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Feng Wu
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China.
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Sun Y, Zhao J, Rong J. Dissecting the molecular mechanisms underlying the antidepressant activities of herbal medicines through the comprehensive review of the recent literatures. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:1054726. [PMID: 36620687 PMCID: PMC9813794 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.1054726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Depression is clinically defined as a mood disorder with persistent feeling of sadness, despair, fatigue, and loss of interest. The pathophysiology of depression is tightly regulated by the biosynthesis, transport and signaling of neurotransmitters [e.g., serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine, or γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)] in the central nervous system. The existing antidepressant drugs mainly target the dysfunctions of various neurotransmitters, while the efficacy of antidepressant therapeutics is undermined by different adverse side-effects. The present review aimed to dissect the molecular mechanisms underlying the antidepressant activities of herbal medicines toward the development of effective and safe antidepressant drugs. Our strategy involved comprehensive review and network pharmacology analysis for the active compounds and associated target proteins. As results, 45 different antidepressant herbal medicines were identified from various in vivo and in vitro studies. The antidepressant mechanisms might involve multiple signaling pathways that regulate neurotransmitters, neurogenesis, anti-inflammation, antioxidation, endocrine, and microbiota. Importantly, herbal medicines could modulate broader spectrum of the cellular pathways and processes to attenuate depression and avoid the side-effects of synthetic antidepressant drugs. The present review not only recognized the antidepressant potential of herbal medicines but also provided molecular insights for the development of novel antidepressant drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yilu Sun
- Department of Chinese Medicine, The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China
- School of Chinese Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Jia Zhao
- Department of Chinese Medicine, The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China
- School of Chinese Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Jianhui Rong
- School of Chinese Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China
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Fiore M, Petrella C, Coriale G, Rosso P, Fico E, Ralli M, Greco A, De Vincentiis M, Minni A, Polimeni A, Vitali M, Messina MP, Ferraguti G, Tarani F, de Persis S, Ceccanti M, Tarani L. Markers of Neuroinflammation in the Serum of Prepubertal Children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. CNS Neurol Disord Drug Targets 2022; 21:854-868. [PMID: 34852752 DOI: 10.2174/1871527320666211201154839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2021] [Revised: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) are the manifestation of the damage caused by alcohol consumption during pregnancy. Children with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), the extreme FASD manifestation, show both facial dysmorphology and mental retardation. Alcohol consumed during gestational age prejudices brain development by reducing, among others, the synthesis and release of neurotrophic factors and neuroinflammatory markers. Alcohol drinking also induces oxidative stress. HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVE The present study aimed to investigate the potential association between neurotrophins, neuroinflammation, and oxidative stress in 12 prepubertal male and female FASD children diagnosed as FAS or partial FAS (pFAS). METHODS Accordingly, we analyzed, in the serum, the level of BDNF and NGF and the oxidative stress, as Free Oxygen Radicals Test (FORT) and Free Oxygen Radicals Defense (FORD). Moreover, serum levels of inflammatory mediators (IL-1α, IL-2, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12, MCP-1, TGF-β, and TNF-α) involved in neuroinflammatory and oxidative processes have been investigated. RESULTS We demonstrated low serum levels of NGF and BDNF in pre-pubertal FASD children with respect to healthy controls. These changes were associated with higher serum presence of TNF- α and IL-1α. Quite interestingly, an elevation in the FORD was also found despite normal FORT levels. Moreover, we found a potentiation of IL-1α, IL-2, IL-10, and IL-1α1 in the analyzed female compared to male children. CONCLUSION The present investigation shows an imbalance in the peripheral neuroimmune pathways that could be used in children as early biomarkers of the deficits observed in FASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Fiore
- Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, IBBC-CNR, Rome, Italy
| | - Carla Petrella
- Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, IBBC-CNR, Rome, Italy
| | - Giovanna Coriale
- Centro Riferimento Alcologico Regione Lazio, ASL Roma 1, Rome, Italy
| | - Pamela Rosso
- Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, IBBC-CNR, Rome, Italy
| | - Elena Fico
- Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, IBBC-CNR, Rome, Italy
| | - Massimo Ralli
- Department of Sense Organs, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
| | - Antonio Greco
- Department of Sense Organs, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
| | | | - Antonio Minni
- Department of Sense Organs, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
| | - Antonella Polimeni
- Department of Odontostomatological and Maxillofacial Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Francesca Tarani
- Department of Pediatrics, Sapienza University Hospital of Rome, Italy
| | | | - Mauro Ceccanti
- SITAC, Societa' Italiana per il Trattamento dell'Alcolismo, Roma Italy SIFASD, Società Italiana Sindrome Feto-Alcolica, Roma, Italy
| | - Luigi Tarani
- Department of Pediatrics, Sapienza University Hospital of Rome, Italy
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Gałecki P, Bliźniewska-Kowalska K, Maes M, Su KP. Neuroimmunology and (Epi)Genetics in Depressive Disorders. J Pers Med 2021; 11:670. [PMID: 34357137 PMCID: PMC8304372 DOI: 10.3390/jpm11070670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Depression causes individual suffering, loss of productivity, increased health care costs and high suicide risk [...].
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Affiliation(s)
- Piotr Gałecki
- Department of Adult Psychiatry, Medical University of Lodz, 91-229 Lodz, Poland;
| | | | - Michael Maes
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand;
| | - Kuan-Pin Su
- An-Nan Hospital, China Medical University, Tainan 709, Taiwan
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