title: Chronic psychotropic drug treatment causes differential expression of connexin 43 and GFAP in frontal cortex of rats.
abstract: Astrocytic markers glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and connexin 43 (CX43) are known to have altered expression in brains of subjects with psychiatric disorders including autism and major depression. The current study investigated whether GFAP and CX43 expressions are affected by several commonly used psychotropic medications (clozapine, fluoxetine, haloperidol, lithium, olanzapine, and valproic acid). Using SDS-PAGE and western blotting technique, we observed that CX43 protein expression in prefrontal cortex was significantly increased following chronic treatment with fluoxetine and clozapine, while it was significantly decreased by haloperidol and lithium. GFAP protein expression was significantly decreased following chronic treatment with clozapine and valproic acid. These results suggest that astroglial markers GFAP and CX43 could be potential targets for therapeutic intervention.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Division of Neuroscience Research, University of Minnesota Medical School, 420 Delaware St. SE, MMC 392, Minneapolis, MN 55455, United States. fatem002@umn.edu
authors.forename: S Hossein
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Fatemi
authors.forename: Timothy D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Folsom
authors.forename: Teri J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Reutiman
authors.forename: Twinkle
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pandian
authors.forename: Natalie N
authors.initials: NN
authors.lastname: Braun
authors.forename: Kari
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Haug
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D018031:Connexin 43 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel / Q000379:methods; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D018031:Connexin 43; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs