Atypical antipsychotic treatment increases glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor serum levels in drug-free schizophrenic patients along with improvement of psychotic symptoms and therapeutic effects.
Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) plays an increasingly vital role in the pathogenesis of neuropsychiatric illnesses. Antipsychotic medications were shown to stimulate GDNF secretion from C6 glioma cells. The aims of this study were to investigate the serum concentration of GDNF, to monitor the therapeutic effect of atypical antipsychotics related to GDNF levels in drug-free schizophrenia patients, and to examine these levels in relation to psychotic symptoms. We recruited 138 drug-free schizophrenic patients and compared them with 77 matched healthy subjects. All patients were treated with atypical antipsychotic monotherapy. GDNF serum levels and psychiatric symptoms were assessed at baseline and after 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks. GDNF levels gradually increased accompanied by a reduction in psychiatric symptoms during antipsychotic therapy. The levels of GDNF in responders were significantly increased after 8 weeks of treatment, however, no significant change was found in non-responders. Furthermore, a negative association between GDNF levels following pharmacotherapy and disease duration in schizophrenic subjects could be observed. The present study suggests that GDNF may be involved in the etiology of schizophrenia and pharmacological treatment.
Department of Psychiatry, Affiliated WuTaiShan Hospital of Medical College of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225003, PR China.
Wenhuan
W
Xiao
Department of Psychiatry, Affiliated WuTaiShan Hospital of Medical College of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225003, PR China.
Fei
F
Ye
Department of Psychiatry, Affiliated WuTaiShan Hospital of Medical College of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225003, PR China.
Li
L
Ma
Department of Psychiatry, Affiliated WuTaiShan Hospital of Medical College of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225003, PR China.
Xiaowei
X
Tang
Department of Psychiatry, Affiliated WuTaiShan Hospital of Medical College of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225003, PR China.
Jin
J
Li
Department of Psychiatry, Affiliated WuTaiShan Hospital of Medical College of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225003, PR China.
Hui
H
Dong
Department of Psychiatry, Affiliated WuTaiShan Hospital of Medical College of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225003, PR China.
Weiwei
W
Sha
Department of Psychiatry, Affiliated WuTaiShan Hospital of Medical College of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225003, PR China. Electronic address: zhangxiaobim@163.com.
Xiaobin
X
Zhang
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D051100:Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology*
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; C495039:GDNF protein, human; D051100:Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor
Antipsychotics; Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor; Schizophrenia