Potential correlations between asymmetric disruption of functional connectivity and metabolism in major depressive disorder.

OBJECTIVE: Previous research has suggested a connection between major depressive disorder (MDD) and certain comorbidities, including gastrointestinal issues, thyroid dysfunctions, and glycolipid metabolism abnormalities. However, the relationships between these factors and asymmetrical alterations in functional connectivity (FC) in adults with MDD remain unclear. METHOD: We conducted a study on a cohort of 42 MDD patients and 42 healthy controls (HCs). Participants underwent comprehensive clinical assessments, including evaluations of blood lipids and thyroid hormone levels, as well as resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (Rs-fMRI) scans. Data analysis involved correlation analysis to compute the parameter of asymmetry (PAS) for the entire brain's functional connectome. We then examined the interrelationships between abnormal PAS regions in the brain, thyroid hormone levels, and blood lipid levels. RESULTS: The third-generation ultra-sensitive thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH3UL) level was found to be significantly lower in MDD patients compared to HCs. The PAS score of the left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) decreased, while the bilateral posterior cingulate cortex (Bi-PCC) PAS increased in MDD patients relative to HCs. Notably, the PAS score of the left IFG negatively correlated with both TSH and total cholesterol (CHOL) levels. However, these correlations lose significance after the Bonferroni correction. CONCLUSION: MDD patients demonstrated abnormal asymmetry in resting-state FC (Rs-FC) within the fronto-limbic system, which may be associated with CHOL and thyroid hormone levels.

Fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations in sensory-motor networks and limbic system as a potential predictor of treatment response in patients with schizophrenia.

BACKGROUND: Previous investigations have revealed substantial differences in neuroimaging characteristics between healthy controls (HCs) and individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia (SCZ). However, we are not entirely sure how brain activity links to symptoms in schizophrenia, and there is a need for reliable brain imaging markers for treatment prediction. METHODS: In this longitudinal study, we examined 56 individuals diagnosed with 56 SCZ and 51 HCs. The SCZ patients underwent a three-month course of antipsychotic treatment. We employed resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) along with fractional Amplitude of Low Frequency Fluctuations (fALFF) and support vector regression (SVR) methods for data acquisition and subsequent analysis. RESULTS: In this study, we initially noted lower fALFF values in the right postcentral/precentral gyrus and left postcentral gyrus, coupled with higher fALFF values in the left hippocampus and right putamen in SCZ patients compared to the HCs at baseline. However, when comparing fALFF values in brain regions with abnormal baseline fALFF values for SCZ patients who completed the follow-up, no significant differences in fALFF values were observed after 3 months of treatment compared to baseline data. The fALFF values in the right postcentral/precentral gyrus and left postcentral gyrus, and the left postcentral gyrus were useful in predicting treatment effects. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that reduced fALFF values in the sensory-motor networks and increased fALFF values in the limbic system may constitute distinctive neurobiological features in SCZ patients. These findings may serve as potential neuroimaging markers for the prognosis of SCZ patients.

Differences in fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (fALFF) and cognitive function between untreated major depressive disorder and schizophrenia with depressive mood patients.

BACKGROUND: Distinguishing untreated major depressive disorder without medication (MDD) from schizophrenia with depressed mood (SZDM) poses a clinical challenge. This study aims to investigate differences in fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (fALFF) and cognition in untreated MDD and SZDM patients. METHODS: The study included 42 untreated MDD cases, 30 SZDM patients, and 46 healthy controls (HC). Cognitive assessment utilized the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS). Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) scans were conducted, and data were processed using fALFF in slow-4 and slow-5 bands. RESULTS: Significant fALFF changes were observed in four brain regions across MDD, SZDM, and HC groups for both slow-4 and slow-5 fALFF. Compared to SZDM, the MDD group showed increased slow-5 fALFF in the right gyrus rectus (RGR). Relative to HC, SZDM exhibited decreased slow-5 fALFF in the left gyrus rectus (LGR) and increased slow-5 fALFF in the right putamen. Changes in slow-5 fALFF in both RGR and LGR were negatively correlated with RBANS scores. No significant correlations were found between remaining fALFF (slow-4 and slow-5 bands) and RBANS scores in MDD or SZDM groups. CONCLUSIONS: Alterations in slow-5 fALFF in RGR may serve as potential biomarkers for distinguishing MDD from SZDM, providing preliminary insights into the neural mechanisms of cognitive function in schizophrenia.

Upregulation of NF-κB by USP24 aggravates ferroptosis in diabetic cardiomyopathy.

BACKGROUND: Recent investigations have proposed a potential causal association between the occurrence of ferroptosis, nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and ubiquitin-specific protease 24 (USP24). Nevertheless, the mechanism of USP24 and NF-κB regulation of ferroptosis in the context of diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) remain unclear. METHODS: In this study, a high-fat diet and a streptozotocin-induced mouse DCM model were established, and high glucose and palmitic acid treatment of H9c2 cells and neonatal mouse primary cardiomyocytes (NMPCs) was used as an in vitro DCM models. Utilizing both the in vivo and in vitro DCM models, we assessed of USP24, NF-κB, and ferroptosis levels, and explored the relationship among them. RESULTS: In in vivo and in vitro DCM models, increased expression of USP24, NF-κB, phosphorylated NF-κB (p-NF-κB) and fatty acid-CoA ligase 4 (FACL4) were detected, along with accumulated iron, as well as reduced ferritin heavy chain 1 (FTH1), solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11) and antioxidant capacity. Knockdown of USP24 resulted in a reduction of NF-κB levels, while knockdown of NF-κB did not lead to a decrease in USP24 expression. Moreover, in H9c2 cells, knockdown of USP24 and NF-κB separately resulted in reduced levels of FACL4, increased levels of SLC7A11 and FTH1, as well as improved antioxidant capacity and cell viability. In shUSP24 knockdown H9c2 cells, administration of phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) activated NF-κB, subsequently reversing the previously observed effect caused by USP24 knockdown. CONCLUSIONS: These findings show that USP24 upregulates NF-κB to promote ferroptosis in DCM.

Automatic depression diagnosis through hybrid EEG and near-infrared spectroscopy features using support vector machine.

Depression is a common mental disorder that seriously affects patients' social function and daily life. Its accurate diagnosis remains a big challenge in depression treatment. In this study, we used electroencephalography (EEG) and functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and measured the whole brain EEG signals and forehead hemodynamic signals from 25 depression patients and 30 healthy subjects during the resting state. On one hand, we explored the EEG brain functional network properties, and found that the clustering coefficient and local efficiency of the delta and theta bands in patients were significantly higher than those in normal subjects. On the other hand, we extracted brain network properties, asymmetry, and brain oxygen entropy as alternative features, used a data-driven automated method to select features, and established a support vector machine model for automatic depression classification. The results showed the classification accuracy was 81.8% when using EEG features alone and increased to 92.7% when using hybrid EEG and fNIRS features. The brain network local efficiency in the delta band, hemispheric asymmetry in the theta band and brain oxygen sample entropy features differed significantly between the two groups (p < 0.05) and showed high depression distinguishing ability indicating that they may be effective biological markers for identifying depression. EEG, fNIRS and machine learning constitute an effective method for classifying depression at the individual level.

Deviant spontaneous neural activity as a potential early-response predictor for therapeutic interventions in patients with schizophrenia.

Objective: Previous studies have established significant differences in the neuroimaging characteristics between healthy controls (HCs) and patients with schizophrenia (SCZ). However, the relationship between homotopic connectivity and clinical features in patients with SCZ is not yet fully understood. Furthermore, there are currently no established neuroimaging biomarkers available for the diagnosis of SCZ or for predicting early treatment response. The aim of this study is to investigate the association between regional homogeneity and specific clinical features in SCZ patients. Methods: We conducted a longitudinal investigation involving 56 patients with SCZ and 51 HCs. The SCZ patients underwent a 3-month antipsychotic treatment. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), regional homogeneity (ReHo), support vector machine (SVM), and support vector regression (SVR) were used for data acquisition and analysis. Results: In comparison to HCs, individuals with SCZ demonstrated reduced ReHo values in the right postcentral/precentral gyrus, left postcentral/inferior parietal gyrus, left middle/inferior occipital gyrus, and right middle temporal/inferior occipital gyrus, and increased ReHo values in the right putamen. It is noteworthy that there was decreased ReHo values in the right inferior parietal gyrus after treatment compared to baseline data. Conclusion: The observed decrease in ReHo values in the sensorimotor network and increase in ReHo values in the right putamen may represent distinctive neurobiological characteristics of patients with SCZ, as well as a potential neuroimaging biomarker for distinguishing between patients with SCZ and HCs. Furthermore, ReHo values in the sensorimotor network and right putamen may serve as predictive indicators for early treatment response in patients with SCZ.

The association of SOD and HsCRP with the efficacy of sulforaphane in schizophrenia patients with residual negative symptoms.

OBJECTIVES: Emerging evidence indicates a connection between oxidative stress, immune-inflammatory processes, and the negative symptoms of schizophrenia. In addition to possessing potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, sulforaphane (SFN) has shown promise in enhancing cognitive function among individuals with schizophrenia. This study aims to investigate the efficacy of combined treatment with SFN in patients with schizophrenia who experience negative symptoms and its effect on the levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and the inflammatory marker, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (HsCRP). DESIGN: Forty-five patients with schizophrenia were recruited, who mainly experienced negative symptoms during a stable period. In addition to the original treatments, the patients received SFN tablets at a daily dose of 90 mg for 24 weeks. At baseline, 12 weeks, and 24 weeks, the participants were interviewed and evaluated. The reduction rate of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) was used to assess each participant. The side effects scale of Treatment Emergent Symptom Scale (TESS) was applied to assess the adverse reactions. Additionally, the levels of the SOD, HsCRP, and other indicators were examined. RESULTS: The study findings revealed a significant decrease in PANSS negative subscale scores (P < 0.001). Furthermore, there was a significant increase in SOD activity and HsCRP levels (P < 0.001 and P < 0.05). Notably, the group of participants who exhibited a reduction in PANSS negative subscale scores demonstrated a significant improvement in HsCRP levels (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that SFN may potentially serve as a safe adjunctive intervention to improve the negative symptoms of schizophrenia. The potential mechanism by which SFN improves negative symptoms in schizophrenia patients may involve its anti-inflammatory properties, specifically its ability to reduce HsCRP levels. Trial registration ClinicalTrial.gov (ID: NCT03451734).

Abnormalities of the Amygdala in schizophrenia: a real world study.

BACKGROUND: Amygdala plays an important role in schizophrenia (SC), but its mechanisms are still unclear. Therefore, we investigated the relationship between the resting-state magnetic resonance imaging (rsMRI) signals of the amygdala and cognitive functions, providing references for future research in this area. METHODS: We collected 40 drug-naïve SC patients and 33 healthy controls (HC) from the Third People's Hospital of Foshan. We used rsMRI and the automatic segmentation tool to extract the structural volume and local neural activity values of the amygdala and conducted Pearson correlation analysis with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) scores. Finally, we compared the clinical data, as well as the volume and functional changes of the amygdala in SC patients before and after treatment. RESULTS: Compared with HC, SC had widespread cognitive impairments, significant abnormalities in left amygdala function, while the reduction in volume of SC was not significant. Further Pearson correlation analysis with Bonferroni correction showed that only Immediate memory (learning) was significantly negatively correlated with fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (FALFF, r = -0.343, p = 0.001, p' = 0.014 (Bonferroni correction)). When compared and analyzed the data difference of SC before and after treatment, we found that immediate memory and delayed memory of SC showed varying degrees of recovery after treatment (tlearning = -2.641, plearning = 0.011; tstory memory = -3.349, pstory memory = 0.001; tlist recall = -2.071, plist recall = 0.043; tstory recall = -2.424, pstory recall = 0.018). But the brain structure and function did not recover. CONCLUSION: There was significant dysfunction in the amygdala in SC, and after conventional treatment, the function of the amygdala did not improve with the improvement of clinical symptoms and cognitive function.

Abnormal blood lipid and electrocardiogram characteristics in common mental disorders.

BACKGROUND: At present, there is not enough evidence to prove the relationship between blood lipid and electrocardiogram (ECG) abnormalities in common mental disorders (CMD). This study aimed to explore the relationship between them, to detect and prevent arrhythmia or sudden death. METHODS: We collected 272 CMD patients (maintained a fixed drug dose pattern for 1 year or more), including 95 schizophrenias (SC), 90 bipolar disorders (BD) and 87 major depressive disorders (MDD), and 78 healthy controls (HC) from the Third People's Hospital of Foshan, China. We analyzed and compared their blood lipid and ECG indicators, to clarify the relationship between them. RESULTS: 350 participants were included. There were no significant differences in age, gender, total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein (LDL) and QTc (p > 0.05) among subjects. And there were significant differences in body mass index (BMI), triglyceride (TG), high density lipoprotein (HDL), heart rate, PR interval and QRS width (p < 0.05). Person correlation analysis showed that QRS width was positively correlated with BMI and TG. And negatively correlated with HDL. Meanwhile, QTc was positively correlated with BMI. Multiple linear regional analysis further proved that TG (B = 3.849, p = 0.007) and LDL (B = 11.764, p = 0.018) were the risk factors, and HDL (B = -9.935, p = 0.025) was the protective factor for QRS width increase. CONCLUSION: Long term medication of CMD patients should strengthen weight management, and conduct regular blood lipid and ECG examinations to achieve early detection and intervention in order to promote their health.

Differences and correlations of biochemical index levels in patients with bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder during a stable period.

The differences and correlation of biochemical indexes between bipolar disorder (BPD) and major depressive disorder (MDD) in stable stage were analyzed and discussed. Patients diagnosed with BPD and MDD in the Third People's Hospital of Foshan from January 2019 to December 2021 were selected as the research subjects, with 200 cases in each. Fasting serum was collected from patients and then detected regarding TC, TG, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), aspartate aminotransferase, lactic dehydrogenase, creatine kinase, creatine kinase-MB, urea, creatinine, uric acid, alanine aminotransferase, glucose (GLU), hemoglobin A1c, prolactin, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, homocysteine. The results showed that the mean age and serum LDL, GLU, and HbAc1 levels of the MDD group were significantly higher than those of the BPD group (P < .05), while there was no significant difference in other indexes (P > .05). The prevalence of BPD was significantly negatively correlated with patient age (r = -0.164, P = .020), LDL (r = -0.150, P = .034), GLU (r = -0.140, P = .048), and HbAc1 (r = -0.215, P = .002) (P < .05). There were no significant differences in serum Hcy and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels between the BPD and MDD groups. The age, fasting blood glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin, and LDL of BPD patients were negatively correlated with their incidence.

Amygdala signal abnormality and cognitive impairment in drug-naïve schizophrenia.

BACKGROUND: Recently studies had showed that the amygdala may take part in the cognitive impairment in schizophrenia (SC). However, the mechanism is still unclear, so we explored the relationship between the amygdala resting state magnetic resonance imaging (rsMRI) signal and cognitive function, to provide a reference for the follow-up study. METHODS: We collected 59 drug-naïve SCs and 46 healthy controls (HCs) from the Third People's Hospital of Foshan. The rsMRI technique and automatic segmentation tool were used to extract the volume and functional indicators of the SC's amygdala. The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) was used to assess the severity of the disease, and the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) was used to assess cognitive function. Pearson correlation analysis was used to compare the relationship between the structural and functional indicators of the amygdala and PANSS and RBANS. RESULTS: (1) There was no significant difference between SC and HC in age, gender and years of education. Compared with HC, the PANSS score of SC increased and the RBANS score decreased significantly. Meanwhile, the left amygdala volume decreased (t=-3.675, p < 0.001), and the Fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (FALFF) values of bilateral amygdala increased (tL=3.916, p < 0.001; tR=3.131, p = 0.002). (2) The volumes of the left amygdala were negatively correlated with the PANSS score (rL=-0.243, p = 0.039). While the FALFF values of the bilateral amygdala were positively correlated with the PANSS score (rL=0.257, p = 0.026; rR=0.259, p = 0.026). Bilateral amygdala volumes and FALFF values were positively correlated (rL=0.445, p < 0.001; rR=0.326, p = 0.006) and negatively correlated with RBANS score (rL=-0.284, p = 0.014; rR=-0.272, p = 0.020), respectively. CONCLUSION: The abnormal volume and function of the amygdala play important roles in the disease process of SC, and are closely related to cognitive impairment.

Disrupted interhemispheric coordination of sensory-motor networks and insula in major depressive disorder.

Objective: Prior researches have identified distinct differences in neuroimaging characteristics between healthy controls (HCs) and patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). However, the correlations between homotopic connectivity and clinical characteristics in patients with MDD have yet to be fully understood. The present study aimed to investigate common and unique patterns of homotopic connectivity and their relationships with clinical characteristics in patients with MDD. Methods: We recruited 42 patients diagnosed with MDD and 42 HCs. We collected a range of clinical variables, as well as exploratory eye movement (EEM), event-related potentials (ERPs) and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) data. The data were analyzed using correlation analysis, support vector machine (SVM), and voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity (VMHC). Results: Compared with HCs, patients with MDD showed decreased VMHC in the insula, and increased VMHC in the cerebellum 8/vermis 8/vermis 9 and superior/middle occipital gyrus. SVM analysis using VMHC values in the cerebellum 8/vermis 8/vermis 9 and insula, or VMHC values in the superior/middle occipital gyrus and insula as inputs can distinguish HCs and patients with MDD with high accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity. Conclusion: The study demonstrated that decreased VMHC in the insula and increased VMHC values in the sensory-motor networks may be a distinctive neurobiological feature for patients with MDD, which could potentially serve as imaging markers to discriminate HCs and patients with MDD.

Observational study on obesity: Insights from middle-aged and elderly college staff in Beijing.

Obesity poses a serious global public health challenge, particularly among middle-aged, and elderly college staff. This study aims to explore the associated factors of obesity by analyzing the metabolic indicators of 1756 university staff from Minzu University of China, Beijing. Venous blood samples were collected, and blood metabolic indicators were analyzed. The results indicate that middle-aged faculty members are more susceptible to obesity compared to their younger counterparts. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that BMI values increase with age (B = 0.074, P < .001), uric acid (B = 0.008, P < .001), alanine transaminase (B = 0.043, P < .001), low-density lipoprotein (B = 1.941, P < .001), triglycerides (B = 0.544, P < .001), total cholesterol (TC, B = -1.582, P < .001), and other factors, while decreasing with the increase of high-density lipoprotein (B = -1.493, P < .001). In light of these findings, it is recommended that middle-aged and elderly college staff undergo regular blood indicator checks and enhance weight management to mitigate the risk of obesity and promote their overall health.

Distinguishing functional and structural MRI abnormalities between bipolar and unipolar depression.

Background: This study aims to investigate the underlying characteristics of spontaneous brain activity by analyzing the volumes of the hippocampus and parahippocampal gyrus, as well as the fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (fALFF) and regional homogeneity (ReHo), in order to differentiate between bipolar disorder (BD) and unipolar depressive disorder. Methods: A total of 46 healthy controls, 58 patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), and 61 patients with BD participated in the study and underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) scans. The researchers calculated the differences in volume, fALFF, and ReHo values among the three groups. Additionally, they conducted correlation analyses to examine the relationships between clinical variables and the aforementioned brain measures. Results: The results showed that the BD group exhibited increased fALFF in the hippocampus compared to the healthy control (HC) and MDD groups. Furthermore, the ReHo values in the hippocampus and parahippocampal gyrus were significantly higher in the BD group compared to the HC group. The findings from the person correlation analysis indicated a positive relationship between ReHo values in the hippocampus and both HAMD and HAMA scores. Moreover, there was no correlation between the volumes, fALFF, and ReHo values in the hippocampus and parahippocampal gyrus, and cognitive function levels (RBANS). Conclusion: Taken together, these aberrant patterns of intrinsic brain activity in the hippocampus and parahippocampal gyrus may serve as quantitative indicators for distinguishing between BD and unipolar depression.

Differences of resting fMRI and cognitive function between drug-naïve bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

BACKGROUND: Bipolar disorder (BD) and schizophrenia (SC) have many similarities in clinical manifestations. The acute phase of BD has psychotic symptoms, while SC also has emotional symptoms during the onset, which suggests that there is some uncertainty in distinguishing BD and SC through clinical symptoms. AIM: To explore the characteristics of brain functional activities and cognitive impairment between BD and SC. METHODS: Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) test was performed on patients in drug-naïve BD and SC (50 subjects in each group), and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) scanning was performed meanwhile. Rs-fMRI data were routinely preprocessed, and the value of the fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (fALFF) was calculated. Then each part of the scores of the RBANS and the characteristics of brain function activities were compared between the two groups. Finally used Pearson correlation to analyze the correlation between cognition and brain function. RESULTS: (1) Compared with BD group, all parts of RBANS scores in SC group decreased; (2) The left inferior occipital gyrus (IOG, peak coordinates - 30, -87, -15; t = 4.78, voxel size = 31, Alphasim correction) and the right superior temporal gyrus (STG, peak coordinates 51, -12, 0; t = 5.08, voxel size = 17, AlphaSim correction) were the brain areas with significant difference in fALFF values between BD and SC. Compared with SC group, the fALFF values of the left IOG and the right STG in BD group were increased (p < 0.05); (3) Pearson correlation analysis showed that the visuospatial construction score was positively correlated with the fALFF values of the left IOG and the right STG (rleft IOG = 0.304, p = 0.003; rright STG = 0.340, p = 0.001); The delayed memory (figure recall) score was positively correlated with the fALFF value of the left IOG (rleft IOG = 0.207, p = 0.044). DISCUSSION: The cognitive impairment of SC was more serious than BD. The abnormal activities of the left IOG and the right STG may be the core brain region to distinguish BD and SC, and are closely related to cognitive impairment, which provide neuroimaging basis for clinical differential diagnosis and explore the pathological mechanism of cognitive impairment.

Effect of insomnia in the major depressive disorder.

BACKGROUND: People with sleep problems are more likely to have mental disorders. This study aimed to assess the effect of insomnia on the prognosis of patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). METHODS: We divided the patients into three groups according to the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) scores. In addition, we compared the results of the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD) and Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90) scores. We evaluated the effect of insomnia at the 2nd, 4th, and 8th-week follow-up on the prognosis of MDD. RESULTS: Fifty-five patients between 19 and 58 years old, with a diagnosis of MDD via the Structured Clinical Interview for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-5 (DSM-5). The ISI scores of the moderate and severe group decreased significantly (P < 0.05) in the 2nd week compared to the baseline. The HAMD scores in all groups improved significantly in the 2nd week. CONCLUSIONS: This study was inspired to assess insomnia as a comorbid disorder for patients with MDD, which may bring poor treatment consequences.

Does Schizophrenia Itself Cause Obesity?

Background: Schizophrenia (SC) is considered the most serious of all mental disorders. Some antipsychotics are associated with weight gain and metabolic abnormalities. Whether SC itself causes obesity remains uncertain. Methods: We collected 185 first-episode drug-naive SC and 59 healthy controls (HCs) from the Third People's Hospital of Foshan, Guangdong, China, and distinguished their course of disease in order to understand the body mass index (BMI) and body fat metabolism of SC. Results: We found that excluding the drug factors, the longer the course of SC, the more obvious the increase of BMI and the higher the proportion of obesity. BMI was positively correlated with age, course of disease, fasting blood glucose (FBG), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), triglyceride (TG), and total cholesterol (TC), and negatively correlated with high-density lipoprotein (HDL). The results of regression analysis were further proof that age (B = 0.094, p < 0.001), duration (B = 0.081, p = 0.002), FBG (B = 0.987, p = 0.004), and TG (B = 0.918, p = 0.002) were the risk factors for the increase of BMI. HDL (B = -2.875, p < 0.001) was the protective factor. Conclusion: SC itself can increase BMI and easily lead to obesity. We should pay more attention to the monitoring of blood metabolism indicators, so as to reduce the risk of obesity and improve the quality of life of patients.

Paeoniflorin Rescued MK-801-Induced Schizophrenia-Like Behaviors in Mice via Oxidative Stress Pathway.

Schizophrenia (SCZ) affects approximately 1% population worldwide, and the first-line antipsychotics have partial reactivity or non-reactivity with side effects. Therefore, there is an urgent need to find more effective drugs. Paeoniflorin (PF) is the main effective component of traditional Chinese medicine from white peony, red peony and peony bark, which acts as a neuroprotective agent. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether PF can rescue MK-801 induced schizophrenia-like behavior in mice. Our results demonstrated that intragastric administration of PF ameliorated MK-801 induced schizophrenia-like behaviors in mice as demonstrated by prepulse inhibition of acoustic startle response, fear conditioning test for memory and open field test for activity. In contrast, the first-line antipsychotics-olanzapine reversed the prepulse inhibition deficits and hyperactivities, but not memory deficits, in the model mice. Further analysis showed that PF reduced oxidative stress in the MK-801-treated mice, as evidenced by the increased superoxide dismutase levels and decreased malondialdehyde levels in the blood of the model mice. In addition, PF treatment inhibited the expression of the apoptotic protein Bax and restored the expression of tyrosine hydroxylase in the brains of the model mice. in vitro data indicated that PF protected against oxidative stress induced neurotoxicity in the primary cultured hippocampal neurons. In conclusion, our results were the first to provide evidence that PF rescued schizophrenia-like behaviors (both positive symptoms and cognitive impairments) in rodents through oxidative stress pathway, and therefore provide a novel strategy for treatment of SCZ. However, more pre-clinical and clinical research are needed to translate the present findings into clinics for a treatment of schizophrenia.

Metabolic indexes of obesity in patients with common mental disorders in stable stage.

BACKGROUND: Obesity is a serious worldwide public health problem, especially for people with mental disorders. AIM: To explore the related factors of obesity by analyzing the metabolic indexes of patients with common mental disorders in stable stage. METHODS: Five hundred seventy-six subjects with major depressive disorder (MDD), bipolar disorder (BD) or schizophrenia (SCZ) were included, who received fixed drug dose and routine drug treatment for 2 years or more. Their venous blood was collected, and the blood metabolic indexes were analyzed. RESULTS: BD and SCZ are more prone to obesity than MDD. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that the value of BMI increased with the increase of age(B = 0.084, p < 0.001), TG(B = 0.355, p = 0.024), LDL(B = 0.697, p < 0.001), LDH(B = 0.011, p = 0.002), SCr(B = 0.051, p < 0.001), UA(B = 0.014, p < 0.001), HbA1c(B = 0.702, p = 0.004) and hsCRP(B = 0.101, p < 0.001). And It decreased with the increase of HDL(B = -1.493, p < 0.001). DISCUSSION: People with mental disorders should regularly check blood indicators and strengthen weight management to reduce the risk of obesity and promote their health.

Multiple examinations indicated associations between abnormal regional homogeneity and cognitive dysfunction in major depressive disorder.

Background: This study aimed to investigate the relationships between regional neural activity and multiple related indicators in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). Methods: Forty-two patients and 42 healthy controls (HCs) were enrolled. Pearson/Spearman correlation analyses were applied to examine the associations between abnormal regional homogeneity (ReHo) and different indicators in the patients. Results: Compared with HCs, patients with MDD had increased ReHo in the left inferior temporal gyrus (ITG) and decreased ReHo values in the left putamen, anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), and precentral gyrus. The ReHo of the left putamen was positively correlated with the PR interval, Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status 4A, and Discriminant analysis (D), and negatively correlated with Ae (block) and Ae (total) in the patients. The ReHo value of the left ACC was positively correlated with the severity of depression, Stroop Color Word Test of C - 2B + 100 in reaction time, and negatively correlated with Ce (Missay) and Perseverative Responses in the patients. The ReHo of the left ITG was positively correlated with the Neuroticism scores and negatively correlated with the Lie scores in the patients. Conclusion: These results suggested that the decreased ReHo of the salience network might be the underpinning of cognitive impairments in patients with MDD.