Increased oxidative stress as a mechanism for decreased BDNF levels in acute manic episodes.
OBJECTIVE
There is a growing amount of data indicating that alterations in brain-derived neurotrophic factor and increased oxidative stress may play a role in the pathophysiology of bipolar disorder. In light of recent evidence demonstrating that brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels are decreased in situations of increased oxidative stress, we have examined the correlation between serum thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, a measure of lipid peroxidation, and serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels in bipolar disorder patients during acute mania and in healthy controls.


RESULTS
Serum thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels were negatively correlated in bipolar disorder patients (r = -0.56; p = 0.001), whereas no significant correlation was observed in the control group..


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that alterations in oxidative status may be mechanistically associated with abnormal low levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor observed in individuals with bipolar disorder.
Kapczinski
Flávio
F
Bipolar Disorders Program and Laboratory of Molecular Psychiatry, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
Frey
Benício N
BN
Andreazza
Ana C
AC
Kauer-Sant'Anna
Márcia
M
Cunha
Angelo B M
AB
Post
Robert M
RM
D000208:Acute Disease; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology*; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000097:blood*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000502:physiology*; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances / Q000032:analysis
D015415:Biomarkers; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances