Changes of Hypocretin (Orexin) System in Schizophrenia: From Plasma to Brain. (11th May 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lu, Jing; Huang, Man-Li; Li, Jin-Hui; Jin, Kang-Yu; Li, Hai-Mei; Mou, Ting-Ting; Fronczek, Rolf; Duan, Jin-Feng; Xu, Wei-Juan; Swaab, Dick; Bao, Ai-Min
• Is Part Of: Schizophrenia bulletin. Volume 47:Number 5(2021)
• Page Start: 1310
• Page End: 1319
• Publication Date: 2021-05-11
• Subjects: schizophrenia -- hypocretin -- orexin, hypocretin receptor -- cerebrospinal fluid -- hypothalamus -- superior frontal gyrus -- plasma; Schizophrenia -- Periodicals; Schizophrenia -- Research -- Periodicals; 616.898005
• DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbab042
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0586-7614

Abstract

Abstract: Hypocretin (also called orexin) regulates various functions, such as sleep-wake rhythms, attention, cognition, and energy balance, which show significant changes in schizophrenia (SCZ). We aimed to identify alterations in the hypocretin system in SCZ patients. We measured plasma hypocretin-1 levels in SCZ patients and healthy controls and found significantly decreased plasma hypocretin-1 levels in SCZ patients, which was mainly due to a significant decrease in female SCZ patients compared with female controls. In addition, we measured postmortem hypothalamic hypocretin-1-immunoreactivity (ir), ventricular cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) hypocretin-1 levels, and hypocretin receptor (Hcrt-R) mRNA expression in the superior frontal gyrus (SFG) in SCZ patients and controls We observed a significant decrease in the amount of hypothalamic hypocretin-1 ir in SCZ patients, which was due to decreased amounts in female but not male patients. Moreover, Hcrt-R2 mRNA in the SFG was decreased in female SCZ patients compared with female controls, while male SCZ patients showed a trend of increased Hcrt-R1 mRNA and Hcrt-R2 mRNA expression compared with male controls. We conclude that central hypocretin neurotransmission is decreased in SCZ patients, especially female patients, and this is reflected in the plasma.