Hipótesis epigenética de la esquizofrenia: bases moleculares y modelos experimentales / Epigenetic Hypothesis for Schizophrenia: Molecular bases and Experimental Models

Si bien la predisposición a desarrollar esquizofrenia ha sido, en parte, atribuida a un componente genético, la evidencia experimental de los últimos años sugiere que este trastorno puede ser el resultado de una aberración epigenética. De ahí que a las hipótesis hiperdopaminérgica e hipoglutamatérgica, se le sume la hipótesis epigenética de la esquizofrenia. Esta última propone que la fisiopatología de la enfermedad se sostiene en cambios en la expresión génica por una estructura aberrante de la cromatina, más que por cambios en la secuencia del ADN. De los múltiples blancos moleculares propuestos en la etiología de la enfermedad, cobra particular importancia la enzima ácido glutámico descarboxilasa, encargada de sintetizar el ácido γ - amino butírico (GABA), en especial la isoforma de 67 kDa, y la reelina, cuyos genes codificantes parecen estar hipermetilados en pacientes con esquizofrenia cuando se los compara con individuos sanos. Esto determina un menor nivel de expresión de la enzima y niveles disminuidos de GABA, lo que involucra íntimamente a este neurotransmisor en el desarrollo de la esquizofrenia.

Although the tendency to develop shizophrenia has partly been ascribed to a genetic component, experimental evidence gathered in recent years suggests that this disorder may be the producto of an epigenetic aberration. Hence, the hyperdopaminergic and hupoglutamatergic hypotheses add on the epigenetic hypothesis for shizophrenial. The latter proposes that the physiopathology of schizophrenia stems from changes in the gene expression, into an aberrant structure of the chromatin, rather than from DNA sequence variations. Oif the multiple molecular targets proposed in the etiology of shizophrenia, one which acquires particular significance is the enzyme, glutamic acid decarboxylase, which synthesizes Y-aminobutyric acid (GABA), especially 67-kDa isoform and reelin, whose codifying genes seem to be hypermethylated in patients with schizophrenia, as compared with healthy individuals. This determines a lower level of expression of the enzyme, as well as rduced GABA levels, which evidences the close relationship betweeen this neurotransmissor and the development of schizophrenia.

Methylmercury intoxication and histochemical demonstration of NADPH-diaphorase activity in the striate cortex of adult cats

The effects of methylmercury (MeHg) on histochemical demonstration of the NADPH-diaphorase (NADPH-d) activity in the striate cortex were studied in 4 adult cats. Two animals were used as control. The contaminated animals received 50 ml milk containing 0.42 µg MeHg and 100 g fish containing 0.03 µg MeHg daily for 2 months. The level of MeHg in area 17 of intoxicated animals was 3.2 µg/g wet weight brain tissue. Two cats were perfused 24 h after the last dose (group 1) and the other animals were perfused 6 months later (group 2). After microtomy, sections were processed for NADPHd histochemistry procedures using the malic enzyme method. Dendritic branch counts were performed from camera lucida drawings for control and intoxicated animals (N = 80). Average, standard deviation and Student t-test were calculated for each data group. The concentrations of mercury (Hg) in milk, fish and brain tissue were measured by acid digestion of samples, followed by reduction of total Hg in the digested sample to metallic Hg using stannous chloride followed by atomic fluorescence analysis. Only group 2 revealed a reduction of the neuropil enzyme activity and morphometric analysis showed a reduction in dendritic field area and in the number of distal dendrite branches of the NADPHd neurons in the white matter (P<0.05). These results suggest that NADPHd neurons in the white matter are more vulnerable to the long-term effects of MeHg than NADPHd neurons in the gray matter.