Genetic and clinical factors predict lithium's effects on PER2 gene expression rhythms in cells from bipolar disorder patients.

ABSTRACT: Bipolar disorder (BD) is associated with abnormal circadian rhythms. In treatment responsive BD patients, lithium (Li) stabilizes mood and reduces suicide risk. Li also affects circadian rhythms and expression of 'clock genes' that control them. However, the extent to which BD, Li and the circadian clock share common biological mechanisms is unknown, and there have been few direct measurements of clock gene function in samples from BD patients. Hence, the role of clock genes in BD and Li treatment remains unclear. Skin fibroblasts from BD patients (N=19) or healthy controls (N=19) were transduced with Per2::luc, a rhythmically expressed, bioluminescent circadian clock reporter gene, and rhythms were measured for 5 consecutive days. Rhythm amplitude and period were compared between BD cases

SUBMITTER: McCarthy MJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3818008 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature