Microtubule organization and L-type voltage-activated calcium current in olfactory neuronal cells obtained from patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

Olfactory neuroepithelial cells in culture have been proposed as a model to study the physiopathology of psychiatric disorders and biomarker characterization for diagnosis. In patients with schizophrenia (SZ) and bipolar disorder (BD) diminished microtubule-associated proteins expression occurs, which might lead to aberrant microtubular organization and which in turn may affect Ca(2+) voltage-activated currents. The aim of this work was to characterize of microtubule organization as well as of the L-type Ca(2+) current in neuronal precursors obtained from nasal exfoliates of patients with SZ and BD. Microtubule organization was studied by immunofluorescence with a specific anti-III ß-tubulin antibody and by quantification of globular and assembled tubulin by Western blot. L-type current recording was performed by whole-cell patch-clamp technique and nifedipine superfusion. The results showed differential altered microtubular organization in neuronal precursors of SZ and BD. Short microtubules were observed in BD neurons, while extensive, unstained subcellular areas and disorganized microtubules were evident in SZ neuronal precursors. Patients with BD showed a decrease in amounts of tubulin in total homogenates and 40% decrease in the globular fraction. However, L-type current in BD was similar to that in healthy subjects (HS). In contrast, this current in SZ was 50% lower. These reduction in L-type current in SZ together with differential microtubule alterations are potential biomarkers that may differentiates SZ and BD.

A non-invasive method to isolate the neuronal linage from the nasal epithelium from schizophrenic and bipolar diseases.

Brain imaging and histopathological studies suggest that neurodevelopmental anomalies play a key role in the etiology of schizophrenia (SZ) and bipolar disorder (BD). New neuron formation and maturation occur in human olfactory epithelium throughout life. Therefore, the olfactory epithelium has been proposed as a model to study alterations in neurodevelopment, particularly in some psychiatric diseases. However, former studies were done with olfactory epithelium biopsies taken post mortem or under anesthesia from patients with SZ and BD. In this work we have developed a new method to obtain viable neural precursors by exfoliation of the anterior region of the medial lateral turbinate of the nasal cavity from healthy controls, and ambulatory patients. Cells were propagated to establish neural precursor banks. Thawed cells showed cytoskeletal phenotypes typical of developing neurons. They also conserved the ability to differentiate in presence of 2mM dibutyril-cyclic adenosine monophosphate, and maintained voltage-operated Ca(2+) currents in culture. Moreover, proportions of neuronal maturation stages were maintained in cultured exfoliates obtained from SZ and BD patients. Data support that neural precursors obtained from a nasal exfoliate are an excellent experimental model to later approach studies on biomarkers, neural development and cellular alterations in the pathophysiology of SZ and BD.