Altered mRNA expression levels of autophagy- and apoptosis-related genes in the FOXO pathway in schizophrenia patients treated with olanzapine

This study attempted to analyze the alterations in the mRNA expression levels of autophagy- and apoptosis-related genes in the forkhead box transcription factor O (FOXO) pathway in schizophrenia patients before and after olanzapine treatment. For a total of 32 acute schizophrenic inpatients, clinical data with PANSS were obtained before and after four weeks of olanzapine treatment (mean dose 14.24 ± 4.35 mg/d) along with data from 32 healthy volunteers. The mRNA expression levels of the FOXO pathway genes were measured by real-time qPCR after fasting venous blood was collected and analyzed. The mRNA expression levels of FOXO1, FOXO3A, FASLG, and BCL2L11 were observed to be significantly decreased in acute schizophrenia patients. After four weeks of olanzapine treatment, the expression levels of the first three genes were further reduced, but BCL2L11 expression levels were not significantly changed. The pairwise correlations between the mRNA expression level of FASLG and those of the other three genes were not observed in acute schizophrenia patients, while these relationships were observed in healthy controls. After olanzapine treatment, the FASLG mRNA expression level was restored and exhibited a pairwise correlation with the FOXO3A and BCL2L11 mRNA expression levels but not with the FOXO1 mRNA expression level, and FASLG mRNA expression was also correlated with the duration of the disease. The statuses and correlations of the mRNA expression levels of FOXO pathway-related genes were altered in schizophrenia patients and were affected by olanzapine treatment and the duration of the disease.