title: The mRNA expression of DRD2, PI3KCB, and AKT1 in the blood of acute schizophrenia patients.
abstract: The phosphoinositide 3 kinase - protein kinase B (PI3K-Akt) signaling pathway plays an important role in the dopamine D2 receptor (DRD2) pathway and in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. This study measured the mRNA levels of DRD2, PI3KCB, and AKT1 in peripheral blood samples from 24 acute schizophrenia patients and 20 healthy controls using real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (real-time qRT-PCR). We found that in the acute schizophrenia patients, the mRNA expression levels of DRD2 and PI3KCB were significantly lower than those in the healthy controls, while the AKT1 mRNA levels were significantly higher than those in the healthy controls. A significant relationship between the mRNA levels of DRD2 and PI3KCB was found only in the controls. In conclusion, the gene expression state of the DRD2-PI3K-AKT signaling cascade differed significantly between acute schizophrenia patients and healthy controls.
authors.affiliation: Wuxi Mental Health Center, Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, China. Electronic address: liuliangwx@163.com.
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Wuxi Mental Health Center, Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, China.
authors.forename: Yin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.affiliation: Wuxi Mental Health Center, Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, China.
authors.forename: Guofu
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Wuxi Mental Health Center, Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, China.
authors.forename: Chunhui
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.affiliation: Wuxi Mental Health Center, Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, China.
authors.forename: Zhenhe
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Wuxi Mental Health Center, Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, China; Wuxi Tongren International Rehabilitation Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, China.
authors.forename: Zaohuo
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Wuxi Mental Health Center, Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, China; Wuxi Tongren International Rehabilitation Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, China.
authors.forename: Guozhen
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yuan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D058534:Class I Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000097:blood*; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017448:Receptors, Dopamine D2 / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: C581293:DRD2 protein, human; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D017448:Receptors, Dopamine D2; D058534:Class I Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; C497132:PIK3CB protein, human; C494918:AKT1 protein, human; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
keywords: Dopamine D2 receptor; Phosphoinositide 3 kinase; Protein kinase B; Schizophrenia; mRNA expression