An observational study investigating cytokine levels in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders.

INTRODUCTION: The role of immunological mechanisms in the pathophysiology of mental disorders has been discussed with increasing frequency. In this context, especially schizophrenia has become the focus of attention after the discovery of autoimmune encephalitis, which might present with psychotic symptoms. Furthermore, multiple studies have identified associations between infections or autoimmune diseases and schizophreniform disorders. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis plays a central role in identifying potential inflammatory processes in the central nervous system. Therefore, the rationale of this retrospective study was the analysis of different cytokines, including interleukin-8 (IL-8) levels, in the CSF of patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. METHODS: The authors examined the CSF of 40 patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders, in comparison to the CSF of a mentally healthy control group of 39 patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH). Magnetic bead multiplexing immunoassay was used to retrospectively determine different cytokines in the participants' CSF. RESULTS: Participants with schizophrenia spectrum disorders had significantly higher IL-8 levels in their CSF than controls (mean ± SD: 41.83 ± 17.50 pg/ml versus 21.40 ± 7.96 pg/ml; p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The main finding of this study is the presence of significantly higher IL-8 concentrations in the CSF of patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders when compared to the control group. This supports the hypothesis that immunological processes may be involved in the pathophysiology of a subgroup of patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. However, the study's results are limited by the retrospective design, methodological aspects, and the control group with IIH.

Increased IL-8 concentrations in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with unipolar depression.

INTRODUCTION: Unipolar depression is a common and debilitating disorder. Immunological explanatory approaches have become increasingly important in recent years and can be studied particularly well in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Previous studies discerned alterations in interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-8 levels; however, findings regarding IL-8 were partly contradictory. The aim of the present study was to investigate the concentrations of different cytokines and chemokines, focusing on IL-8, in the CSF of patients with unipolar depression. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Participants included 40 patients with unipolar depression and 39 mentally healthy controls with idiopathic intracranial hypertension. CSF cytokine levels were measured using a magnetic bead multiplexing immunoassay. RESULTS: IL-8 levels in the CSF of the patient group with depression were significantly higher than those in the control group (Mean ± SD: 38.44 ± 6.26 pg/ml versus 21.40 ± 7.96 pg/ml; p < .001). LIMITATIONS: The significance of the results is limited by the retrospective design and methodological aspects. DISCUSSION: The main findings of this study were significantly higher concentrations of IL-8 in the CSF of patients with unipolar depression than in the control group. The detection of high CSF IL-8 levels in this study supports the idea that inflammatory processes might play a role in the pathophysiology of a subgroup of patients with depression.

New multifunctional AChE inhibitor drug prototypes protect against Aß-induced memory deficit.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most incident neurodegenerative disorder, characterized by accumulation of extracellular amyloid-ß (Aß), intracellular neurofibrillary tangles, and cognitive impairment. The current available treatments are mainly based on the use of reversible acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors, which only ameliorate the cognitive deficits. However, it is important to develop disease-modifying drugs with neuroprotective effects in order to hamper the progression of the disease. Here, we describe the effect of four promising new drugs with additional protective characteristics on AD-associated memory changes. C57Bl/6 mice treated with the compounds received an intra-hippocampal injection of Aß1-40 and were submitted to the novel object recognition test, to evaluate memory recovery. All the compounds prevented memory loss. Compounds PQM-56 (4c) and PQM-67 (4g) showed the best profile of memory recovery, representing potential drug candidates for AD treatment.

URB597 ameliorates the deleterious effects induced by binge alcohol consumption in adolescent rats.

Heavy episodic drinking or binge drinking during adolescence may elicit serious neurotoxic consequences in cerebral areas (e.g., the prefrontal cortex, i.e., PFC) and the hippocampus, delay the maturation of the brain and increase the probability of drug abuse and dependence. The endocannabinoid system plays an important role in neuroprotection by reducing oxidative stress and neuroinflammation. In the present study, we aimed to investigate whether URB597, an inhibitor of the metabolic enzyme of the endocannabinoid anandamide (AEA), altered the effects of acute and chronic alcohol administration beginning during rat adolescence on recognition memory, neuroinflammation and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels. The animals received intraperitoneal injections of URB597 (0.3 mg/Kg) or vehicle followed by the oral administration of ethanol (3 or 6 g/Kg) or distilled water for 3 consecutive days in one week (acute binging) or over 4 weeks (chronic binging). The groups were submitted to the novel object recognition task, and their PFCs and hippocampi were removed for analyses of the cytokine and BDNF levels. URB597 potentiated long-term memory after the 3 mg/Kg acute alcohol administration. The chronic binge alcohol administration increased the interferon (IFN)-γ and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α levels in the PFC and hippocampus and the interleukin (IL)-10 and BDNF levels in the PFC, and these effects were prevented by URB597. Our results indicate that the neuromodulation facilitated by AEA can reduce the neuroimmune response induced by the chronic administration of alcohol beginning in adolescence in rats.