The Tryptophan Hydroxylase A218C Polymorphism in Patients with Bipolar Disorder / 대한정신약물학회지

OBJECTIVE: This study has been carried out to explore the genetic causes of bipolar disorder by comparing the frequency of Tryptophan Hydroxylase (TPH) A218C polymorphism between bipolar disorder patients and normal controls, and to explore the relation between clinical characteristics of bipolar disorder patients and TPH polymorphism. METHODS: The genotype and allele frequencies of TPH in the genome of 113 hospitalized patients with bipolar disorder was compared with those of 124 normal control subjects using polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism. The association between TPH A218C polymorphism and clinical characteristics in bipolar disorder patients were explored. RESULTS: The distributions of TPH A218C polymorphism between the patients with bipolar disorder and normal control subjects show no difference statistically. There was a significant difference in the distribution of TPH genotype by clinical characteristics. The frequency of C allele is significantly higher in patients with a history of suicidal attempts. The frequency of A allele is significantly higher in patients with family history of bipolar disorder. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that suicidal attempts and family history in the patients with bipolar disorder are clearly associated with TPH A218C polymorphism and may explain, in part, the biological basis for these typologies.

The Effect of Polygalasaponins in Polygalae Tenuifolia on Apomorphine-Induced Hyperlocomotions in Mice / 대한정신약물학회지

OBJECTIVE: This study was to investigate in vivo antidopaminergic activities of polygalasaponins which included in the roots of Polygalae tenuifolia, one of the natural plants prescribed to treat psychotic disorders in traditional medicine. METHODS: The chemical separations were conducted by chromatographies with various columns and the chemical structures were identified using spectroscopy, NMR and so on. The apomorphine-induced stereotyped behaviors and climbing behaviors in mice as animal models of psychotic disorders were applied to explore the antidopaminergic activity. RESULTS: The active compounds with antidopaminergic effects in the roots of Polygalae tenuifolia were identified as polygalasaponin A-D. The polygalasaponins showed to suppress the apomorphine-induced stereotyped behaviors and climbing behaviors in dose-related fashions. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that polygalasaponins might have antipsychotic activities. The natural products need to be explored extensively as sources of new medications in psychiatric fields. Further explorations for chemical and pharmacological properties of polygalasaponins are required.