Background Patients with schizophrenia have prominent abnormality in information processing that can be observed by measures of prepulse inhibition （PPI） of acoustic startle reflex and PPI deficits have been conside...Background Patients with schizophrenia have prominent abnormality in information processing that can be observed by measures of prepulse inhibition （PPI） of acoustic startle reflex and PPI deficits have been considered as a candidate endophenotypic marker of schizophrenia. However, there has been little information on PPI and related measures in Chinese patients with schizophrenia. The research was to explore the deficits of acoustic startle reflex that might exist in Chinese patients with schizophrenia. Methods Startle response to acoustic stimuli, habituation, and PPI were examined in 31 Chinese patients with first-episode, medication-naive schizophrenia and 30 age-and sex-matched healthy Chinese controls. At the same day of startle testing, psychopathological symptoms of the patients were assessed with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale （PANSS）. Results Compared with healthy controls, patients exhibited the significant reduction in startle response and PPI deficits at 60 milliseconds （ms） intervals （PP160, P 〈0.05） but not at 30 or 120 ms intervals. Furthermore, there was a relatively strong correlation between PPI60 （P 〈0.05） and scores of positive scale of PANSS in patients with schizophrenia. Conclusion Our findings confirmed impaired PPI in Chinese patients with schizophrenia and suggested that a relationship between sensorimotor gating deficits and clinical symptoms of patients with schizophrenia might exist.展开更多
Background MicroRNAs （miRNAs） control gene expression by destabilizing target transcripts and inhibiting their translation. Aberrant expression of miRNAs has been described in many human diseases, including schizoph...Background MicroRNAs （miRNAs） control gene expression by destabilizing target transcripts and inhibiting their translation. Aberrant expression of miRNAs has been described in many human diseases, including schizophrenia. However, the effects on miRNA expression in response to antipsychotic treatment in peripheral circulation have not been thoroughly examined. Methods Using quantitative real-time PCR （qRT-PCR）, We quantified the expression of seven candidate miRNAs in plasma samples of 40 first-episode schizophrenics before and after antipsychotic treatment. The patients were all treated with risperidone and achieved remission in 1 year. Results Compared with the baseline, the expression levels of miR-365 and miR-520c-3p were significantly down- regulated after 1 year of risperidone treatment （P 〈0.001）. There were no significant correlations between the clinical symptoms and the expression levels of these two miRNAs （P 〉0.05）. Conclusions This study analyzed possible circulating miRNAs in response to antipsychotic monotherapy for schizophrenia, the further mechanism need to be confirmed.展开更多
Dear Editor, Nicotine is a psychoactive alkaloid that is thought to play a key role in addiction to commercial tobacco products [1] and cotinine is its primary metabolite [2]. Pharmacological treatment, such as nicoti...Dear Editor, Nicotine is a psychoactive alkaloid that is thought to play a key role in addiction to commercial tobacco products [1] and cotinine is its primary metabolite [2]. Pharmacological treatment, such as nicotine replacement therapy （NRT）, is a valid solution to this problem. Tobacco smoke contains many carcinogens such as nitrosamines .展开更多
基金The research was partly completed when WANG Zhi-ren was in Institute of Mental Health of Peking University as a Ph.D candiadate, now he works in Beijing Hui-Long-Guan Hospital. This work was supported by grants from the National Basic Research Program of China （973 Program： 2007BC512307）, the Capital Medical Development Fund （2009-3148）, the National Natural Science Foundation of China （81000579） and the Beijing Municipal Science ＆ Technology Commission （No. D0906001040191）.
文摘Background Patients with schizophrenia have prominent abnormality in information processing that can be observed by measures of prepulse inhibition （PPI） of acoustic startle reflex and PPI deficits have been considered as a candidate endophenotypic marker of schizophrenia. However, there has been little information on PPI and related measures in Chinese patients with schizophrenia. The research was to explore the deficits of acoustic startle reflex that might exist in Chinese patients with schizophrenia. Methods Startle response to acoustic stimuli, habituation, and PPI were examined in 31 Chinese patients with first-episode, medication-naive schizophrenia and 30 age-and sex-matched healthy Chinese controls. At the same day of startle testing, psychopathological symptoms of the patients were assessed with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale （PANSS）. Results Compared with healthy controls, patients exhibited the significant reduction in startle response and PPI deficits at 60 milliseconds （ms） intervals （PP160, P 〈0.05） but not at 30 or 120 ms intervals. Furthermore, there was a relatively strong correlation between PPI60 （P 〈0.05） and scores of positive scale of PANSS in patients with schizophrenia. Conclusion Our findings confirmed impaired PPI in Chinese patients with schizophrenia and suggested that a relationship between sensorimotor gating deficits and clinical symptoms of patients with schizophrenia might exist.
文摘Background MicroRNAs （miRNAs） control gene expression by destabilizing target transcripts and inhibiting their translation. Aberrant expression of miRNAs has been described in many human diseases, including schizophrenia. However, the effects on miRNA expression in response to antipsychotic treatment in peripheral circulation have not been thoroughly examined. Methods Using quantitative real-time PCR （qRT-PCR）, We quantified the expression of seven candidate miRNAs in plasma samples of 40 first-episode schizophrenics before and after antipsychotic treatment. The patients were all treated with risperidone and achieved remission in 1 year. Results Compared with the baseline, the expression levels of miR-365 and miR-520c-3p were significantly down- regulated after 1 year of risperidone treatment （P 〈0.001）. There were no significant correlations between the clinical symptoms and the expression levels of these two miRNAs （P 〉0.05）. Conclusions This study analyzed possible circulating miRNAs in response to antipsychotic monotherapy for schizophrenia, the further mechanism need to be confirmed.
基金partly supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(81271475 and 81571297)
文摘Dear Editor, Nicotine is a psychoactive alkaloid that is thought to play a key role in addiction to commercial tobacco products [1] and cotinine is its primary metabolite [2]. Pharmacological treatment, such as nicotine replacement therapy （NRT）, is a valid solution to this problem. Tobacco smoke contains many carcinogens such as nitrosamines .
