Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment (Aug 2023)
Electroconvulsive Therapy Reduces Protein Expression Level of EP300 and Improves Psychiatric Symptoms and Disturbance of Thought in Patients with Schizophrenia
Abstract
Wanhong Peng,1,2,* Si Wang,1,* Minglan Yu,1 Tingting Wang,1 Rongfang He,1 Dongmei Liu,3 Dechao Chen,3 Xuemei Liang,1 Kezhi Liu,1 Bo Xiang1 1Department of Psychiatry, Laboratory of Neurological Diseases and Brain Function, Medical Laboratory Center, Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan Province, People’s Republic of China; 2The Fourth People’s Hospital of Chengdu, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Psychiatry, Yibin Fourth People’s Hospital, Yibin, Sichuan Province, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Bo Xiang; Kezhi Liu, Department of Psychiatry, Laboratory of Neurological Diseases and Brain Function, Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan Province, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86-08303165019, Email [email protected]; [email protected]: Although electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has been employed as an effective treatment strategy and to improve mental symptoms in schizophrenia (SCZ), its action mechanisms remain unclear. Our previous study found that some genes and biological pathways were closely related to ECT through genetic technology analysis, such as LTP pathway and EP300. This study combined with healthy controls and symptomatology analysis to further explore the changes of expression of EP300 protein in treatment and related symptoms of SCZ.Methods: One hundred and one patients with SCZ and 45 healthy controls (HCs) were enrolled in this study. Patients with SCZ received acute courses of 6 times bilateral ECT. The peripheral blood of patients with SCZ (BECT: before ECT; AECT: after ECT) and the HCs was collected to calculate the changes of expression level of EP300 protein by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The Positive and Negative Symptoms Scale (PANSS) was used to evaluate the severity of symptoms of SCZ patients and the efficiency of the ECT.Results: There was a statistical difference of EP300 protein expression in patients with SCZ (BECT and AECT) (F = 114.5, p < 0.05). ECT reduced plasma expression level of EP300 protein in patients with SCZ, which was not statistically different from that in HCs (t = 4.47, p = 0.20). The change of the expression level of EP300 protein in patients with SCZ (BECT and AECT) has a positive correlation with reduction rate of positive symptoms (r = 0.228, p < 0.05) and disturbance of thought (r = 0.219, p < 0.05).Conclusion: Our study suggests that the expression level of EP300 protein has a significant change in patients with SCZ treating with ECT, and EP300 may have some connections with positive symptoms and disturbance thought of patients with SCZ.Keywords: EP300, electroconvulsive therapy, schizophrenia
