Clozapine modulates retinoid homeostasis in human brain and normalizes serum retinoic acid deficit in patients with schizophrenia

© 2020. The Author(s)..

The atypical antipsychotic clozapine is one of the most potent drugs of its class, yet its precise mechanisms of action remain insufficiently understood. Recent evidence points toward the involvement of endogenous retinoic acid (RA) signaling in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Here we investigated whether clozapine may modulate RA-signaling. Effects of clozapine on the catabolism of all-trans RA (at-RA), the biologically most active metabolite of Vitamin A, were assessed in murine and human brain tissue and peripheral blood-derived mononuclear cells (PBMC). In patients with schizophrenia with and without clozapine treatment and matched healthy controls, at-RA serum levels and blood mRNA expression of retinoid-related genes in PBMCs were quantified. Clozapine and its metabolites potently inhibited RA catabolism at clinically relevant concentrations. In PBMC-derived microsomes, we found a large interindividual variability of the sensitivity toward the effects of clozapine. Furthermore, at-RA and retinol serum levels were significantly lower in patients with schizophrenia compared with matched healthy controls. Patients treated with clozapine exhibited significantly higher at-RA serum levels compared with patients treated with other antipsychotics, while retinol levels did not differ between treatment groups. Similarly, in patients without clozapine treatment, mRNA expression of RA-inducible targets CYP26A and STRA6, as well as at-RA/retinol ratio, were significantly reduced. In contrast, clozapine-treated patients did not differ from healthy controls in this regard. Our findings provide the first evidence for altered peripheral retinoid homeostasis in schizophrenia and suggest modulation of RA catabolism as a novel mechanism of action of clozapine, which may be useful in future antipsychotic drug development.

Medienart:

E-Artikel

Erscheinungsjahr:

2021

Erschienen:

2021

Enthalten in:

Zur Gesamtaufnahme - volume:26

Enthalten in:

Molecular psychiatry - 26(2021), 9 vom: 07. Sept., Seite 5417-5428

Sprache:

Englisch

Beteiligte Personen:

Regen, Francesca [VerfasserIn]
Cosma, Nicoleta-Carmen [VerfasserIn]
Otto, Lisa R [VerfasserIn]
Clemens, Vera [VerfasserIn]
Saksone, Lana [VerfasserIn]
Gellrich, Janine [VerfasserIn]
Uesekes, Berk [VerfasserIn]
Ta, Thi Minh Tam [VerfasserIn]
Hahn, Eric [VerfasserIn]
Dettling, Michael [VerfasserIn]
Heuser, Isabella [VerfasserIn]
Hellmann-Regen, Julian [VerfasserIn]

Links:

Volltext

Themen:

5688UTC01R
Antipsychotic Agents
Clozapine
J60AR2IKIC
Journal Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Retinoids
Tretinoin

Anmerkungen:

Date Completed 31.01.2022

Date Revised 04.04.2024

published: Print-Electronic

Citation Status MEDLINE

doi:

10.1038/s41380-020-0791-8

funding:

Förderinstitution / Projekttitel:

PPN (Katalog-ID):

NLM310683599