BACKGROUND: The role of the striatum in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia is not understood. In a previous postmortem study, we found a reduction in the density of striatal interneurons that stain immunohistochemically for choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) in schizophrenia. METHODS: To determine whether this finding represents a specific alteration in ChAT gene expression, we used in situ hybridization to study the striatum of 11 control and 9 schizophrenic subjects with oligonucleotide probes complementary to human ChAT mRNA, preprosomatostatin (PPS) mRNA, and beta-actin mRNA. Densities of ChAT mRNA-positive neurons, ChAT mRNA expression per neuron, PPS mRNA-positive neurons, and beta-actin mRNA expression levels were measured. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the two groups in densities of PPS mRNA-positive neurons and levels of beta-actin mRNA expression throughout the striatum, or in densities of ChAT mRNA-positive neurons in the caudate nucleus or putamen. However, in the ventral striatum, the mean density of ChAT mRNA-positive neurons was reduced to 26% of control levels in the schizophrenic group. CONCLUSIONS: There is a reduction in number or function of the cholinergic interneurons of the ventral striatum in schizophrenia.
BACKGROUND: The role of the striatum in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia is not understood. In a previous postmortem study, we found a reduction in the density of striatal interneurons that stain immunohistochemically for choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) in schizophrenia. METHODS: To determine whether this finding represents a specific alteration in ChAT gene expression, we used in situ hybridization to study the striatum of 11 control and 9 schizophrenic subjects with oligonucleotide probes complementary to humanChAT mRNA, preprosomatostatin (PPS) mRNA, and beta-actin mRNA. Densities of ChAT mRNA-positive neurons, ChAT mRNA expression per neuron, PPS mRNA-positive neurons, and beta-actin mRNA expression levels were measured. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the two groups in densities of PPS mRNA-positive neurons and levels of beta-actin mRNA expression throughout the striatum, or in densities of ChAT mRNA-positive neurons in the caudate nucleus or putamen. However, in the ventral striatum, the mean density of ChAT mRNA-positive neurons was reduced to 26% of control levels in the schizophrenic group. CONCLUSIONS: There is a reduction in number or function of the cholinergic interneurons of the ventral striatum in schizophrenia.
Authors: Jie Lisa Ji; Caroline Diehl; Charles Schleifer; Carol A Tamminga; Matcheri S Keshavan; John A Sweeney; Brett A Clementz; S Kristian Hill; Godfrey Pearlson; Genevieve Yang; Gina Creatura; John H Krystal; Grega Repovs; John Murray; Anderson Winkler; Alan Anticevic Journal: Cereb Cortex Date: 2019-12-17 Impact factor: 5.357
Authors: Simon M N Efange; Anil B Khare; Krystyna von Hohenberg; Robert H Mach; Stanley M Parsons; Zhude Tu Journal: J Med Chem Date: 2010-04-08 Impact factor: 7.446
Authors: Yuko Kataoka; Paul S A Kalanithi; Heidi Grantz; Michael L Schwartz; Clifford Saper; James F Leckman; Flora M Vaccarino Journal: J Comp Neurol Date: 2010-02-01 Impact factor: 3.215
Authors: Michael A Rapp; Michal Schnaider-Beeri; Dushyant P Purohit; Abraham Reichenberg; Susan R McGurk; Vahram Haroutunian; Philip D Harvey Journal: Schizophr Res Date: 2010-01 Impact factor: 4.939
Authors: Zhude Tu; Simon M N Efange; Jinbin Xu; Shihong Li; Lynne A Jones; Stanley M Parsons; Robert H Mach Journal: J Med Chem Date: 2009-03-12 Impact factor: 7.446