Our results indicate convergence of transcriptome studies of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder on changes in cortical astrocytes and fast-spiking parvalbumin interneurons, providing a unified interpretation of numerous studies.
We used a combination of human postmortem and rodent studies to test the hypothesis that neurons expressing parvalbumin (PV neurons), a main TRN neuronal population, and associated Wisteria floribunda agglutinin-labeled perineuronal nets (WFA/PNNs) are altered in SZ and BD, and that these changes may occur early in the course of the disease as a consequence of oxidative stress.
Reduced expression of parvalbumin, a marker of mature FS cells, has been reported in individuals with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder and in mouse models of schizophrenia and autism.
We observed no differences in the relative density and laminar distribution of the PV-expressing neurons between subjects with bipolar disorder and matched normal control subjects.