Atypical antipsychotic treatment increases glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor serum levels in drug-free schizophrenic patients along with improvement of psychotic symptoms and therapeutic effects

• Published in: Psychiatry research Vol. 246; pp. 617 - 622
• Main Authors: Xiao, Wenhuan, Ye, Fei, Ma, Li, Tang, Xiaowei, Li, Jin, Dong, Hui, Sha, Weiwei, Zhang, Xiaobin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ireland Elsevier B.V 30.12.2016
• Subjects: Adult; Animals; Antipsychotic Agents - administration & dosage; Antipsychotic Agents - adverse effects; Antipsychotic Agents - pharmacology; Antipsychotics; Female; Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor; Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor - blood; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Outcome Assessment (Health Care); Psychiatry; Schizophrenia; Schizophrenia - blood; Schizophrenia - drug therapy; Schizophrenia - physiopathology; Schizophrenia; Antipsychotics; Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor
• ISSN: 0165-1781; 1872-7123; 1872-7123
• DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2016.11.001

Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) plays an increasingly vital role in the pathogenesis of neuropsychiatric illnesses. Antipsychotic medications were shown to stimulate GDNF secretion from C6 glioma cells. The aims of this study were to investigate the serum concentration of GDNF, to monitor the therapeutic effect of atypical antipsychotics related to GDNF levels in drug-free schizophrenia patients, and to examine these levels in relation to psychotic symptoms. We recruited 138 drug-free schizophrenic patients and compared them with 77 matched healthy subjects. All patients were treated with atypical antipsychotic monotherapy. GDNF serum levels and psychiatric symptoms were assessed at baseline and after 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks. GDNF levels gradually increased accompanied by a reduction in psychiatric symptoms during antipsychotic therapy. The levels of GDNF in responders were significantly increased after 8 weeks of treatment, however, no significant change was found in non-responders. Furthermore, a negative association between GDNF levels following pharmacotherapy and disease duration in schizophrenic subjects could be observed. The present study suggests that GDNF may be involved in the etiology of schizophrenia and pharmacological treatment. •Baseline serum GDNF levels were significantly lower in schizophrenic individuals than in healthy controls.•GDNF levels gradually increased along with the improvement of mental symptoms during the course of antipsychotic therapy.•An increase in GDNF serum levels was associated with therapeutic actions of antipsychotics.•Elevated GDNF levels elicited by antipsychotics were correlated with duration of illness.