| 1. |
- Bay-Richter, Cecilie, et al.
(författare)
-
A role for inflammatory metabolites as modulators of the glutamate N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor in depression and suicidality
- 2015
-
Ingår i: Brain, behavior, and immunity. - : ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE. - 0889-1591 .- 1090-2139. ; 43, s. 110-117
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Patients with depression and suicidality suffer from low-grade neuroinflammation. Proinflammatory cytokines activate indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase, an initial enzyme of the kynurenine pathway. This pathway produces neuroactive metabolites, including quinolinic- and kynurenic acid, binding to the glutamate N-methyl-D-aspartate-receptor, which is hypothesized to be part of the neural mechanisms underlying symptoms of depression. We therefore hypothesized that symptoms of depression and suicidality would fluctuate over time in patients prone to suicidal behavior, depending on the degree of inflammation and kynurenine metabolite levels in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Methods: We measured cytokines and kynurenine metabolites in CSF, collected from suicide attempters at repeated occasions over 2 years (total patient samples n = 143, individuals n = 30) and healthy controls (n = 36). The association between the markers and psychiatric symptoms was assessed using the Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale and the Suicide Assessment Scale. Results: Quinolinic acid was increased and kynurenic acid decreased over time in suicidal patients versus healthy controls. Furthermore, we found a significant association between low kynurenic acid and severe depressive symptoms, as well as between high interleukin-6 levels and more severe suicidal symptoms. Conclusions: We demonstrate a long-term dysregulation of the kynurenine pathway in the central nervous system of suicide attempters. An increased load of inflammatory cytokines was coupled to more severe symptoms. We therefore suggest that patients with a dysregulated kynurenine pathway are vulnerable to develop depressive symptoms upon inflammatory conditions, as a result the excess production of the NMDA-receptor agonist quinolinic acid. This study provides a neurobiological framework supporting the use of NMDA-receptor antagonists in the treatment of suicidality and depression. (C) 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
|
|
| 2. |
- Bay-Richter, Cecilie, et al.
(författare)
-
Aldosterone synergizes with peripheral inflammation to induce brain IL-1β expression and depressive-like effects.
- 2012
-
Ingår i: Cytokine. - : Elsevier BV. - 1096-0023 .- 1043-4666. ; 60:3, s. 749-754
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Recent findings have shown that the physiological functions of the hormone aldosterone go far beyond its well-known role in blood-pressure regulation and salt/water homeostasis. Aldosterone is for example involved in the regulation of inflammation, and also binds directly to mineralocorticoid receptors in specific brain regions. Interestingly, depressive symptoms appear to correlate with alterations of the aldosterone system but the underlying mechanisms have not been elucidated. In this study aldosterone (2μg/100g body weight/day) was continuously administered via osmotic minipumps for 5days. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was administered once a day for 5days in a dose of 1mg/kg ip. The rats were tested for depressive-like behavior 24h after the last LPS injection. Protein levels of cytokines were measured in serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). mRNA expression of interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6 in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) was analyzed using reverse transcriptase qPCR. We found that aldosterone treatment increased LPS-induced IL-1β mRNA expression in the PFC and CSF. Moreover, there was a positive correlation between IL-1β in CSF and depressive-like behaviors. These findings suggest that IL-1β is affected by the renin-aldosterone-angiotensin system (RAAS) activity and connected to symptoms of depression.
|
|
| 3. |
- Bay-Richter, Cecilie, et al.
(författare)
-
Behavioural and neurobiological consequences of macrophage migration inhibitory factor gene deletion in mice.
- 2015
-
Ingår i: Journal of Neuroinflammation. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1742-2094. ; 12:1
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Evidence from clinical studies and animal models show that inflammation can lead to the development of depression. Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is an important multifunctional cytokine that is synthesized by several cell types in the brain. MIF can increase production of other cytokines, activates cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 and can counter-regulate anti-inflammatory effects of glucocorticoids. Increased plasma levels of MIF are associated with hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis dysregulation and depressive symptoms in patients. In contrast, MIF knockout (KO) mice have been found to exhibit increased depressive-like behaviour. The exact role for MIF in depression is therefore still controversial. To further understand the role of MIF in depression, we studied depressive-like behaviour in congenic male and female MIF KO mice and wild-type (WT) littermates and the associated neurobiological mechanisms underlying the behavioural outcome.
|
|
| 4. |
- Bay-Richter, Cecilie, et al.
(författare)
-
Changes in behaviour and cytokine expression upon a peripheral immune challenge
- 2011
-
Ingår i: Behavioural Brain Research. - : Elsevier BV. - 0166-4328. ; 222:1, s. 193-199
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Depression is frequently associated with inflammation. Animal studies have shown that peripheral inflammation induces depressive-like behaviour, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. A distinction between sickness- and depressive-like behaviour has been proposed. We hypothesize that the behavioural distinction is due to changes in the central production of immune mediators. As a model of peripheral inflammation, we administered lipopolysaccharide (LPS) intraperitoneally daily for 4 days in rats. The effect of LPS on sickness- and depressive-like behaviour was assessed. We examined protein levels and mRNA expression of cytokines and cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes in serum, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and specific brain regions. Two hours post-LPS, the rats displayed sickness behaviour and cytokine levels were elevated in both serum and CSF. This was paralleled by specific alterations of mRNA transcription of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α in frontal cortex, hippocampus and striatum. Twenty-four hours post-LPS the rats showed depressive-like behaviour and peripheral cytokine levels were back close to baseline. In contrast, the central transcription of IL-1β mRNA had increased even further, as well as IL-1β CSF levels. IL-6 and TNF-α transcription was unaltered compared to controls. COX enzymes were downregulated in the hippocampus during sickness behaviour and unaltered during depressive-like behaviour. Our results show for the first time that a peripheral immune challenge induces a region specific transcription of cytokines and COX-enzymes in the brain, at time-points corresponding to behavioural sickness and depression. When the peripheral inflammation and sickness behaviour had ceased, a production of proinflammatory cytokines remained within the brain parenchyma.
|
|
| 5. |
- Ekemohn, Maria, et al.
(författare)
-
Systematic evaluation of skeletal fractures caused by induction of electroconvulsive seizures in rat state a need for attention and refinement of the procedure
- 2017
-
Ingår i: Acta Neuropsychiatrica. - : Cambridge University Press (CUP). - 0924-2708 .- 1601-5215. ; 29:6, s. 363-373
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is one of the most efficient treatments for major depression. Electroconvulsive seizures (ECS), the animal model of ECT, is widely used to study both mechanisms of action and adverse effects of ECT. As the treatment itself serves as an instant anaesthetic and anaesthetic agents may affect memory functions and behaviour, ECS is traditionally administered without muscle relaxation and anaesthesia. A major problem of unmodified ECS, which has only been addressed peripherally in the literature, is that some animals sustain spinal fractures and subsequent hind leg paralysis (paraplegia). This phenomenon leads to a higher degree of suffering and these animals need to be excluded from the studies. To reach sufficient statistical power, the group sizes are therefore often increased and this may lead to a pre-selected study group in risk of skewing the results. Moreover, the study design of the experiments do not comply with the 3R principles, which advocate for both refinement and reduction of animal experiments. The objective of this study is to systematically evaluate injuries caused by ECS. Methods: We summarise the incidence of spinal fractures from 24 studies conducted during 2009–2015 in six different rat strains and report preliminary findings on scapular fractures following auricular ECS. Results: In total, 12.8% of all tested animals suffered from spinal fractures and we find an increase in spinal fracture incidence over time. Furthermore, X-ray analyses revealed that some animals displayed scapular fractures. Conclusion: We discuss consequences of and possible explanations for ECS-induced fractures. Modifications of the method are highly warranted and we furthermore suggest that all animals are thoroughly examined for discrete fractures.
|
|
| 6. |
- Ventorp, Filip, et al.
(författare)
-
Exendin-4 Treatment Improves LPS-Induced Depressive-Like Behavior Without Affecting ProInflammatory Cytokines
- 2017
-
Ingår i: Journal of Parkinson's Disease. - : IOS Press. - 1877-7171 .- 1877-718X. ; 7:2, s. 263-273
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Exendin-4 is a peptide agonist of the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor, currently in clinical trials as a potential disease-modifying therapy for Parkinson's disease. In light of this, it is important to understand potential modes of action of exendin-4 in the brain. Exendin-4 is neuroprotective and has been proposed to be directly anti-inflammatory, and that this is one way it reduces neurodegeneration. However, prior studies have focused on animal models involving both neurodegeneration and inflammation, therefore, it is also possible that the observed decreased inflammation is secondary to reduced neurodegeneration. Objective: To investigate whether exendin-4 directly reduces inflammation in the brain following an insult that involves neuroinflammation but not neurodegeneration, namely systemic administration of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Methods: Rats were administered LPS systemically and were treated with either 0.5 mu g/kg exendin-4 or saline vehicle injections over 5 days. Behavior was evaluated with forced swim test. We assayed TNF-alpha and IL-1 beta levels in cerebrospinal fluid and cytokine mRNA expression in striatal, hippocampal and cortical tissues using qPCR. We determined brain monoamines using high-performance liquid chromatography. Finally, we isolated primary brain microglia from rats and measured cytokine production after exendin-4 treatment and LPS stimulation. Results: Exendin-4 treatment did not affect cytokine mRNA expression in brain, cytokine levels in cerebrospinal fluid or cytokine production from cultured microglia, although there was a trend towards increased striatal dopamine. Importantly, exendin-4 significantly prevented depressive-like behavior at 24 hours after LPS injection, indicating that the drug engaged a target in the brain. Depressive-like behavior was associated with altered dopamine turnover in the striatum. Conclusion: We did not detect any anti-inflammatory effects of exendin-4. In previous studies exploring the effects of exendin-4 on brain insults involving neurodegeneration, observations of reduced inflammation might have been secondary to mitigation of neuronal death. Our results indicate that the effects of exendin-4 on behavior may be due to effects on dopamine synthesis or metabolism.
|
|
| 7. |
- Ventorp, Filip, et al.
(författare)
-
The CD44 ligand hyaluronic acid is elevated in the cerebrospinal fluid of suicide attempters and is associated with increased blood-brain barrier permeability.
- 2016
-
Ingår i: Journal of Affective Disorders. - : Elsevier BV. - 1573-2517 .- 0165-0327. ; 193, s. 349-354
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The glycosaminoglycan hyaluronic acid (HA) is an important component of the extracellular matrix (ECM) in the brain. CD44 is a cell adhesion molecule that binds to HA in the ECM and is present on astrocytes, microglia and certain neurons. Cell adhesion molecules have been reported to be involved in anxiety and mood disorders. CD44 levels are decreased in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of depressed individuals, and the CD44 gene has been identified in brain GWAS studies as a possible risk gene for suicidal behavior.
|
|
| 8. |
- Wennström, Malin, et al.
(författare)
-
Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines Reduce the Proliferation of NG2 Cells and Increase Shedding of NG2 In Vivo and In Vitro.
- 2014
-
Ingår i: PLoS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 9:10
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Neuron glial 2 (NG2) cells become strongly activated in injured brain areas. The activation is characterized by increased proliferation as well as increased expression and shedding of the proteoglycan NG2 expressed on their cell surface. It is currently not known how these cells respond to low-grade neuroinflammation provoked by systemic inflammation. To investigate this, we analyzed NG2 cell proliferation as well as soluble NG2 (sNG2) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from rats treated with an acute intraperitoneal (i.p) injection of lipopolysaccharides (LPS) or saline and sacrificed after 2 or 24 hours. The systemically induced neuroinflammation was confirmed as elevated levels of cytokines, including interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-1β, and MHCII expressing microglia were found 24 h after LPS treatment. At this time point NG2 cell proliferation was significantly decreased in both amygdala and hippocampus and sNG2 levels in CSF were increased twofold. We also exposed human NG2 cells in culture to IL-6 and IL-1β for 24 h and found, in line with our in vivo study, a direct impact of these cytokines reducing cell proliferation and increasing shedding of NG2. We conclude that LPS induced systemic inflammation significantly affects NG2 cell proliferation and shedding and that these two events at least in in part are mediated by IL-6 and IL-1β.
|
|
| 9. |
- Zhang, Yuanfen, et al.
(författare)
-
Toxoplasma gondii Immunoglobulin G Antibodies and Nonfatal Suicidal Self-Directed Violence
- 2012
-
Ingår i: Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. - 0160-6689. ; 73:8, s. 1069-1076
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: The primary aim was to relate Toxoplasma gondii seropositivity and serointensity to scores on the self-rated Suicide Assessment Scale (SUAS-S). Another aim was to reevaluate the previously reported positive association between T gondii serointensity and a history of nonfatal suicidal self-directed violence. Method: This cross-sectional, observational study compared T gondii serointensity and seropositivity in plasma from 54 adult suicide attempters (inpatients at Lund University Hospital, Lund, Sweden) and 30 adult control subjects (randomly selected from the municipal population register in Lund, Sweden) recruited between 2006 and 2010.The potential of patients and controls for self-directed violence was evaluated with the SUAS-S. Psychiatric diagnoses were made according to DSM-IV criteria. Plasma samples were tested for immunoglobulin G antibodies to T gondii, cytomegalovirus, and herpes simplex virus type 1. Data were analyzed using multivariable logistic regression to investigate the association between T gondii serointensity or seropositivity and a history of nonfatal suicidal self-directed violence; multivariable linear regression was used to explore the relationship between T gondii serointensify or seropositivity and the SUAS-S. Both regression models included sex, age, and body mass index as covariates. Results: Seropositivity of T gondii (adjusted odds ratio [OR]=7.12; 95% CI, 1.66-30.6; P=.008) and serointensity of T gondii (adjusted OR=2.01; 95% CI, 1.09-3.71; P=.03) were positively associated with a history of nonfatal suicidal self-directed violence. Seropositivity of T gondii was associated with higher SUAS-S scores, a relationship significant for the whole sample (P=.026), but not for suicide attempters only. No significant associations with other pathogens were identified. Conclusions: These results are consistent with previous reports on the association between T gondii infection and nonfatal suicidal self-directed violence. Confirming these results in future large longitudinal studies and including suicide as an outcome may lead to novel individualized approaches in suicide prevention. J Clin Psychiatry 2012;73 (8):1069-1076 (c) Copyright 2012 Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc.
|
|
