scholarly journals Telomeres in the Brain Cortex of Patients with Major Depressive Disorder

2014 ◽  
Vol 56 (3) ◽  
pp. 89-94
Author(s):  
Jean-Raymond Teyssier ◽  
Sylviane Ragot ◽  
Anne Donzel ◽  
Jean-Christophe Chauvet-Gelinier
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicolas Salvetat ◽  
Fabrice Chimienti ◽  
Christopher Cayzac ◽  
Benjamin Dubuc ◽  
Francisco Checa-Robles ◽  
...  

AbstractMental health issues, including major depressive disorder, which can lead to suicidal behavior, are considered by the World Health Organization as a major threat to global health. Alterations in neurotransmitter signaling, e.g., serotonin and glutamate, or inflammatory response have been linked to both MDD and suicide. Phosphodiesterase 8A (PDE8A) gene expression is significantly decreased in the temporal cortex of major depressive disorder (MDD) patients. PDE8A specifically hydrolyzes adenosine 3′,5′-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP), which is a key second messenger involved in inflammation, cognition, and chronic antidepressant treatment. Moreover, alterations of RNA editing in PDE8A mRNA has been described in the brain of depressed suicide decedents. Here, we investigated PDE8A A-to-I RNA editing-related modifications in whole blood of depressed patients and suicide attempters compared to age-matched and sex-matched healthy controls. We report significant alterations of RNA editing of PDE8A in the blood of depressed patients and suicide attempters with major depression, for which the suicide attempt took place during the last month before sample collection. The reported RNA editing modifications in whole blood were similar to the changes observed in the brain of suicide decedents. Furthermore, analysis and combinations of different edited isoforms allowed us to discriminate between suicide attempters and control groups. Altogether, our results identify PDE8A as an immune response-related marker whose RNA editing modifications translate from brain to blood, suggesting that monitoring RNA editing in PDE8A in blood samples could help to evaluate depressive state and suicide risk.


2019 ◽  
Vol 251 ◽  
pp. 78-85 ◽  
Author(s):  
Huifeng Zhang ◽  
Meihui Qiu ◽  
Lei Ding ◽  
David Mellor ◽  
Gang Li ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angela A Tran ◽  
Myra De Smet ◽  
Gary D. Grant ◽  
Tien K. Khoo ◽  
Dean L Pountney

Major depressive disorder (MDD) affects more than cognition, having a temporal relationship with neuroinflammatory pathways of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Although this association is supported by epidemiological and clinical studies, the underlying mechanisms are unclear. Microglia and astrocytes play crucial roles in the pathophysiology of both MDD and PD. In PD, these cells can be activated by misfolded forms of the protein α-synuclein to release cytokines that can interact with multiple different physiological processes to produce depressive symptoms, including monoamine transport and availability, the hypothalamus-pituitary axis, and neurogenesis. In MDD, glial cell activation can be induced by peripheral inflammatory agents that cross the blood brain barrier and/or c-Fos signaling from neurons. The resulting neuroinflammation can cause neurodegeneration due to oxidative stress and glutamate excitotoxicity, contributing to PD pathology. Astrocytes are another major link due to their recognised role in the glymphatic clearance mechanism. Research suggesting that MDD causes astrocytic destruction or structural atrophy highlight the possibility that accumulation of α-synuclein in the brain is facilitated as the brain cannot adequately clear the protein aggregates. This review examines research into the overlapping pathophysiology of MDD and PD with particular focus on the roles of glial cells and neuroinflammation.


Genes ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 1089 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisabetta Maffioletti ◽  
Alessandra Minelli ◽  
Daniela Tardito ◽  
Massimo Gennarelli

Despite the extensive research conducted in recent decades, the molecular mechanisms underlying major depressive disorder (MDD) and relative evidence-based treatments remain unclear. Various hypotheses have been successively proposed, involving different biological systems. This narrative review aims to critically illustrate the main pathogenic hypotheses of MDD, ranging from the historical ones based on the monoaminergic and neurotrophic theories, through the subsequent neurodevelopmental, glutamatergic, GABAergic, inflammatory/immune and endocrine explanations, until the most recent evidence postulating a role for fatty acids and the gut microbiota. Moreover, the molecular effects of established both pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches for MDD are also reviewed. Overall, the existing literature indicates that the molecular mechanisms described in the context of these different hypotheses, rather than representing alternative ones to each other, are likely to contribute together, often with reciprocal interactions, to the development of MDD and to the effectiveness of treatments, and points at the need for further research efforts in this field.


2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (10) ◽  
pp. 642-652 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xuanjun Liu ◽  
Shuming Zhong ◽  
Lan Yan ◽  
Hui Zhao ◽  
Ying Wang ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Previous studies have found that elevated copper levels induce oxidation, which correlates with the occurrence of major depressive disorder (MDD). However, the mechanism of abnormal cerebral metabolism of MDD patients remains ambiguous. The main function of the enzyme ATPase copper-transporting alpha (ATP7A) is to transport copper across the membrane to retain copper homeostasis, which is closely associated with the onset of mental disorders and cognitive impairment. However, less is known regarding the association of ATP7A expression in MDD patients. Methods A total of 31 MDD patients and 21 healthy controls were recruited in the present study. Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy was used to assess the concentration levels of N-acetylaspartate, choline (Cho), and creatine (Cr) in brain regions of interest, including prefrontal white matter (PWM), anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), thalamus, lentiform nucleus, and cerebellum. The mRNA expression levels of ATP7A were measured using polymerase chain reaction (SYBR Green method). The correlations between mRNA expression levels of ATP7A and/or ceruloplasmin levels and neuronal biochemical metabolite ratio in the brain regions of interest were evaluated. Results The decline in the mRNA expression levels of ATP7A and the increase in ceruloplasmin levels exhibited a significant correlation in MDD patients. In addition, negative correlations were noted between the decline in mRNA expression levels of ATP7A and the increased Cho/Cr ratios of the left PWM, right PWM, and right ACC in MDD patients. A positive correlation between elevated ceruloplasmin levels and increased Cho/Cr ratio of the left PWM was noted in MDD patients. Conclusions The findings suggested that the decline in the mRNA expression levels of ATP7A and the elevated ceruloplasmin levels induced oxidation that led to the disturbance of neuronal metabolism in the brain, which played important roles in the pathophysiology of MDD. The decline in the mRNA expression levels of ATP7A and the elevated ceruloplasmin levels affected neuronal membrane metabolic impairment in the left PWM, right PWM, and right ACC of MDD patients.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chotima Böttcher ◽  
Camila Fernández-Zapata ◽  
Gijsje J. L. Snijders ◽  
Stephan Schlickeiser ◽  
Marjolein A. M. Sneeboer ◽  
...  

Abstract Stress-induced disturbances of brain homeostasis and neuroinflammation have been implicated in the pathophysiology of mood disorders. In major depressive disorder (MDD), elevated levels of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines can be found in peripheral blood, but very little is known about the changes that occur directly in the brain. Microglia are the primary immune effector cells of the central nervous system and exquisitely sensitive to changes in the brain microenvironment. Here, we performed the first single-cell analysis of microglia from four different post-mortem brain regions (frontal lobe, temporal lobe, thalamus, and subventricular zone) of medicated individuals with MDD compared to controls. We found no evidence for the induction of inflammation-associated molecules, such as CD11b, CD45, CCL2, IL-1β, IL-6, TNF, MIP-1β (CCL4), IL-10, and even decreased expression of HLA-DR and CD68 in microglia from MDD cases. In contrast, we detected increased levels of the homeostatic proteins P2Y12 receptor, TMEM119 and CCR5 (CD195) in microglia from all brain regions of individuals with MDD. We also identified enrichment of non-inflammatory CD206hi macrophages in the brains of MDD cases. In sum, our results suggest enhanced homeostatic functions of microglia in MDD.


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