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Lower phosphorylated glycogen synthase kinase-3B levels in platelets of patients with schizophrenia: increment by olanzapine treatment

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Abstract

Glycogen synthase kinase-3B (GSK-3B) is involved with important neuronal processes such as cell survival, gene regulation, mood and cognitive performance. This enzyme is inactivated by phosphorylation at the phospho-Ser9 site. We compared GSK-3B levels in patients with schizophrenia to a health control group. The levels of phosphorylated and total GSK-3B in platelets of ten drug-free patients, ten long-term olanzapine treated patients and 20 healthy controls were determined by means of an enzyme immunoassay kit. In drug-free patients, GSK-3B levels were accessed again after 8 weeks on treatment with olanzapine. At baseline, drug-free patients presented lower phosphorylated and total GSK-3B levels than healthy controls (p < 0.05). After 8 weeks on olanzapine treatment, phosphorylated and total GSK-3B levels were significantly increased (p < 0.01). Reduced phospho-Ser9-GSK-3B in schizophrenia may disrupt signal-transduction pathways and influence crucial cellular processes, such as transcription, apoptosis, stress response and cell proliferation. Further studies should clarify whether the increment of GSK-3B phosphorylation by olanzapine is related to its antipsychotic effects.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the Fundação de Apoio à Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo (FAPESP: process number 2009/05606-6). ASF received a scholarship from Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES). The Laboratory of Neuroscience receives financial support by Associação Beneficente Alzira Denise Hertzog da Silva (ABADHS).

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The authors have no conflict of interest to declare.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Neuroscience (LIM 27), Department and Institute of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Rua Dr Ovídio Pires de Campos, 785, 3rd Floor, São Paulo, 05403-010, Brazil

    Aline Siqueira Ferreira, Nádia Rezende Barbosa Raposo, Paulo Clemente Sallet, Martinus Theodorus Van de Bilt, Rodrigo Machado-Vieira, Leda Leme Talib & Wagner Farid Gattaz

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  1. Aline Siqueira Ferreira
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  2. Nádia Rezende Barbosa Raposo
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  3. Paulo Clemente Sallet
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  4. Martinus Theodorus Van de Bilt
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  5. Rodrigo Machado-Vieira
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  7. Wagner Farid Gattaz
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Correspondence to Wagner Farid Gattaz.

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Ferreira, A.S., Raposo, N.R.B., Sallet, P.C. et al. Lower phosphorylated glycogen synthase kinase-3B levels in platelets of patients with schizophrenia: increment by olanzapine treatment. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 265, 167–170 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00406-014-0505-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00406-014-0505-9

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