Plasma neuropeptides as circulating biomarkers of multifactorial schizophrenia

• Published in: Comprehensive psychiatry 2019-10, Vol.94, p.152114-152114, Article 152114
• Main Authors: Ni, Peiyan, Tian, Yang, Gu, Xiaochu, Yang, Linghui, Wei, Jinxue, Wang, Yingcheng, Zhao, Liansheng, Zhang, Yamin, Zhang, Chengcheng, Li, Liping, Tang, Xiangdong, Ma, Xiaohong, Hu, Xun, Li, Tao
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal cognition; Animals; Biomarkers; Biomarkers - blood; Brain; Child & adolescent psychiatry; Child development; Child psychology; Disease Models, Animal; Dual-hit model; Endorphins; Female; Females; Genetic factor; Male; Mice; Neuropeptides; Neuropeptides - blood; Noise; Oxytocin - blood; Plasma; Rodents; Schizophrenia; Schizophrenia - blood; Severity of Illness Index; Social Isolation; Teenagers
• ISSN: 0010-440X; 1532-8384
• DOI: 10.1016/j.comppsych.2019.152114

Promising biomarkers would be used to improve the determination of diagnosis and severity, as well as the prediction of symptomatic and functional outcomes of schizophrenia. In this study, we used three different mouse models induced by a genetic factor (PV-Cre; ErbB4−/−, G group), an environmental stressor (adolescent social isolation, G group), and a combination of genetic factor and environmental stressor (PV-Cre; ErbB4−/− mice with isolation, G × E group). Attenuated PPI (%) confirmed the successful establishment of three schizophrenia-like mouse models. To evaluate whether neuropeptide levels in plasma would be potential biomarkers of different schizophrenia models in our work, we used MILLIPLEX® MAP method to simultaneously measure 6 critical neuropeptides in plasma. Among the evaluated neuropeptides, increased neurotensin tends to be associated with genetic factors of schizophrenia, increased orexin A seems to be a biomarker of an interplay between genetic and social isolation, while higher plasma oxytocin might be more apt to be responsive to social isolation. The potential biomarkers are mostly independent of sex. This research would provide novel clues to develop circulating biomarkers of plasma neuropeptides for multifactorial schizophrenia. •Both genetic and environmental factors were considered for the schizophrenia models.•Six neuropeptides were simultaneously measured using only 250 μL sample.•Different neuropeptides might be responsive to specific pathological factors.•Novel clues to develop circulating biomarkers for multifactorial schizophrenia