Bone marrow mononuclear cell transplant prevents rat depression and modulates inflammatory and neurogenic molecules.

INTRODUCTION: Major depressive disorder is associated with chronic inflammation and deficient production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Bone marrow mononuclear cell (BMMC) transplantation has an anti-inflammatory effect and has been proven effective in restoring non-depressive behavior. This study investigated whether BMMC transplantation can prevent the development of depression or anxiety in chronic mild stress (CMS), as well as its effect on inflammatory and neurogenic molecules. METHOD: Three groups of animals were compared: BMMC-transplanted animals subjected to CMS for 45 days, CMS non-transplanted rats, and control animals. After the CMS period, the three groups underwent the following behavioral tests: sucrose preference test (SPT), eating-related depression test (ERDT), social avoidance test (SAT), social interaction test (SIT), and elevated plus maze test (EPMT). Transplanted cell tracking and measurement of the expression of high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), tumor necrosis factor (TNFα), and BDNF were performed on brain and spleen tissues. RESULTS: BMMC transplantation prevented the effects of CMS in the SPT, ERDT, SAT, and SIT, while prevention was less pronounced in the EPMT. It was found to prevent increased HMGB-1 expression induced by CMS in the hippocampus and spleen, increase BDNF expression in both tissues, and prevent increased IL-1ß expression in the hippocampus alone, while no effect of the transplant was observed in the TNFα expression. In addition, no transplanted cells were found in either the brain or spleen. CONCLUSIONS: BMMC transplantation prevents the development of depression and anxiety-like behavior triggered by CMS. It could prevent increased HMGB-1 and IL-1ß expression in the hippocampus and increased BDNF expression in the same tissue. Cell treatment represents a further perspective in the research and treatment of depression and possible mood disorders.

Is there a place for cellular therapy in depression?

Although efforts have been made to improve the pharmacological treatment of depression, approximately one-third of patients with depression do not respond to conventional therapy using antidepressants. Other potential non-pharmacological therapies have been studied in the last years, including the use of mesenchymal stem cell therapies to treat depression. These therapies are reviewed here since it is clinically relevant to develop innovative therapeutics to treat psychiatric patients. Experimental data corroborate that mesenchymal stem cell therapy could be considered a potential treatment for depression based on its anti-inflammatory and neurotrophic properties. However, some clinical trials involving treatment of depression with stem cells are in progress, but with no published results. These studies and other future clinical investigations will be crucial to define how much mesenchymal stem cells can effectively be used in psychiatric clinics as a strategy for supporting depression treatment.

The antidepressant effect of bone marrow mononuclear cell transplantation in chronic stress.

BACKGROUND: Inflammation could be a risk factor for the development of depression and change the outcome of this common chronic-recurrent mental disorder. AIMS: This study aimed to investigate if bone marrow mononuclear cell (BMMC) transplantation is effective in restoring sucrose preference in rats subjected to chronic stress (CS), if it has an anti-inflammatory effect and is able to restore damaged DNA. METHODS: The effect of BMMC transplantation was studied in a controlled protocol (compared with a control group and a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor escitalopram group) involving sucrose preference in CS in rats. Measurements were taken of the amygdala, hippocampus, frontal cortex, and other brain areas, the spleen and blood pro-inflammatory cytokines, namely interleukin-1ß, interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and interferon-gamma, as well as anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-10. Finally, 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (a DNA damage marker) was determined. RESULTS: BMMC transplantation was as effective as escitalopram in restoring sucrose preference. It also had an anti-inflammatory effect and slightly improved damaged DNA after one week. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest administration of BMMC in rats subjected to CS restores sucrose preference, resolves inflammation in both the peripheral and central nervous system, as well as diminishes DNA damage. This effect was similar to that of escitalopram, which is effective in the treatment of depressive patients.

Lithium is able to minimize olanzapine oxidative-inflammatory induction on macrophage cells.

BACKGROUND: Olanzapine (OLZ) is a second-generation antipsychotic drug used for treatment of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and other neuropsychiatric conditions. Undesirable side effects of OLZ include metabolic alterations associated with chronic oxidative-inflammation events. It is possible that lithium (Li), a mood modulator that exhibits anti-inflammatory properties may attenuate OLZ-induced oxi-inflammatory effects. METHODOLOGY: To test this hypothesis we activated RAW 264.7 immortalized macrophages with OLZ and evaluated oxidation and inflammation at the gene and protein levels. Li and OLZ concentrations were determined using estimated plasma therapeutic concentrations. RESULTS: OLZ triggered a significant increase in macrophage proliferation at 72 h. Higher levels of oxidative markers and proinflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-α, IL-1ß, and IL-6, with a concomitant reduction in IL-10, were observed in OLZ-exposed macrophages. Lithium (Li) exposure triggered a short and attenuated inflammatory response demonstrated by elevation of superoxide anion (SA), reactive oxygen species (ROS), IL-1ß, and cellular proliferation followed by elevation of anti-inflammatory IL-10 levels. Li treatment of OLZ-supplemented macrophages was able to reverse elevation of oxidative and inflammatory markers and increase IL-10 levels. CONCLUSIONS: Despite methodological limitations related to in vitro protocols, results suggested that Li may attenuate OLZ-induced oxidative and inflammatory responses that result from metabolic side effects associated with OLZ.

Genetic or pharmacological superoxide-hydrogen peroxide imbalances modulate the in vitro effects of lithium on glycogen synthase kinase-3ß.

INTRODUCTION: Lithium (Li), a mood stabilizer used to treat bipolar disorder (BP) symptoms has important anti-inflammatory effects by downregulation of glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta (GSK-3ß). However, sometime Li effect is not efficient in some patients suggesting genetic interference. Previous investigations described association between a genetic superoxide­hydrogen (S-HP) imbalance caused by a superoxide dismutase manganese dependent gene polymorphism (Val16Ala-SOD2 SNP, rs4880) and differential anti-inflammatory response of some drugs and bioactive molecules. Therefore, we postulated here that S-HP imbalance could present some effect on GSK-3ß modulation by Li. METHODS: to test this hypothesis, a genetic and a pharmacological S-HP imbalance protocols were performed. In the two protocols, immune cells were activated by phythohemaglutin (PHA). The first one, used peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) cultures carrying different Val16Ala-SOD2 genotypes, and the second used a commercial macrophage cell line RAW 264.7. Macrophages were exposed to paraquat to induce high S levels (VV-like cells) or porphyrin, that is a SOD2-like molecule that increase dismutation of S into HP (AA-like cells). In both protocols the Li effects on GSK-3ß gene and protein modulation as evaluated in 24 h cultures. The inflammatory activation was also analyzed by cellular proliferation in 72 h cell cultures. RESULTS: as expected PHA exposure triggered a strong upregulation of GSK-3ß gene expression (p ≤ 0.001), and Li exposure showed GSK-3ß gene downregulation from 0.7 mEq/L concentrations. However, Li modulatory effects on GSk-3ß gene and protein expression was directly influenced by basal S-HP balance. Presence of high S-basal levels (VV genotype and VV-like cells) induced attenuated Li anti-inflammatory effects in comparison with balanced and AA and AA-like cells (p < 0.001). Despite methodological limitations related to in vitro assays, the whole of results suggested that Li anti-inflammatory effects is influenced by S-HP basal state and is plausible that its influence could contributes to resistance of some patients to Li treatment or to increase of intensity of some side effects Li-associated.

Ziprasidone, a second-generation antipsychotic drug, triggers a macrophage inflammatory response in vitro.

Antipsychotic drugs are used to treat schizophrenia and other psychiatric disorders. However, most of these drugs present side effects causing obesity and other serious metabolic alterations that correlate with grade of chronic inflammation. In contrast, ziprasidone's (ZIP) metabolic side effects are attenuated relative to those of other antipsychotic drugs, but some reports suggest that this drug could cause allergic, hypersensitive reactions in susceptible patients. At present, the mechanism of ZIP's effect on peripheral inflammatory metabolism is not well characterized. We conducted an in vitro study to evaluate the effect of ZIP on a macrophage cell line (RAW 264.1). Our results showed that in non-activated macrophage cells, ZIP exposure initiated macrophage spreading; increased cellular proliferation, as evaluated by MTT and flow cytometry assays; and presented higher levels of oxidant molecules involved in the inflammatory response (nitric oxide, superoxide, reactive oxygen species), and proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1, IL-6, TNFα, INFγ). Levels of IL-10, an anti-inflammatory cytokine were lower in ZIP-exposed cells. These effects were less potent than those caused by the positive control for inflammation induction (phytohemagglutinin), and more intense than the effects of lithium (LI), which was used as an anti-inflammatory molecule. ZIP also modulated cytokine gene expression. Taken together, these data suggest that ZIP can produce a peripheral inflammatory response, and this response may explain the allergen-inflammatory response observed in some patients treated with this antipsychotic drug.

Xanthine-Catechin Mixture Enhances Lithium-Induced Anti-Inflammatory Response in Activated Macrophages In Vitro.

Lithium (Li) is a chemical element used for treating and preventing bipolar disorder (BD) and exerts positive effects such as anti-inflammatory effects as well as undesirable side effects. These effects of Li can be influenced by interaction with some nutritional elements. Therefore, we investigated the potential effects of xanthine (caffeine and theobromine) and catechin molecules present in some food beverages broadly consumed worldwide, such as coffee and tea, on Li-induced anti-inflammatory effects. In the present study, we concomitantly exposed RAW 264.7 macrophages to Li, isolated xanthine and catechin molecules, and a xanthine-catechin mixture (XC mixture). We evaluated the effects of these treatments on cell proliferation, cell cycle progression, oxidative and antioxidant marker expression, cytokine levels, gene expression, and GSK-3ß enzyme expression. Treatment with the XC mixture potentialized Li-induced anti-inflammatory effects by intensification of the following: GSK-3ß inhibitory action, lowering effect on proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1ß, IL-6, and TNFα), and increase in the levels of IL-10 that is an anti-inflammatory cytokine. Despite the controversial nature of caffeine consumption by BD patients, these results suggested that consumption of caffeine, in low concentrations, mixed with other bioactive molecules along with Li may be safe.

Haloperidol and Risperidone at high concentrations activate an in vitro inflammatory response of RAW 264.7 macrophage cells by induction of apoptosis and modification of cytokine levels.

Antipsychotic drugs, such as haloperidol and risperidone, are used in long-term treatment of psychiatric patients and thus increase the risk of obesity and other metabolic dysfunctions. Available evidence suggests that these drugs have pro-inflammatory effect, which contributes to the establishment of endocrine disturbances. However, results yielded by extant studies are inconsistent. Therefore, in this work, we tested the in vitro effects of different high concentrations of haloperidol and risperidone on the activation of isolated macrophages (RAW 264.7 cell line). The results indicated that macrophages were activated by both drugs. In addition, the activation involved an increase in nitric oxide levels and apoptosis events by modulation of caspases 8 and 3 levels and a decrease of the Bcl-2/BAX gene expression ratio. Cells treated with haloperidol and risperidone also presented higher concentrations of inflammatory cytokines (IL-1ß, IL-6, TNFα) and low levels of IL-6 anti-inflammatory cytokine in a dose-dependent manner. Despite the limitation of cell line studies based solely on macrophages cells, we suggest that antipsychotic drugs could potentially exacerbate inflammatory processes in peripheral tissues (blood and fat). The continued activation of macrophages could contribute to the development of obesity and other endocrine disturbances caused by the use of antipsychotic drugs.