Coregulation of genes in the mouse brain following treatment with clozapine, haloperidol, or olanzapine implicates altered potassium channel subunit expression in the mechanism of antipsychotic drug action

Background Antipsychotic drugs are the most effective treatment for the psychotic symptoms of schizophrenia, yet their mechanism of action remains largely unknown. Objectives Earlier studies have shown gene expression changes in rodent brains after treatment with antipsychotic drugs. We aimed to further characterize these changes using whole-genome transcript profiling to explore coregulation of genes after multiple antipsychotic drug treatment studies. Methods This study involved transcript profile analysis after 7-day treatment of inbred C57BL/6 mice with conventional (haloperidol) or atypical (clozapine or olanzapine) antipsychotic drugs. Microarray analysis was undertaken using whole-brain mRNA on Affymetrix 430v2 arrays, with quantitative reverse transcriptase-PCR used to confirm gene expression changes. Western blotting was also used to explore translation of gene dysregulation to protein changes and to explore anatomical specificity of such changes. Main results Thirteen genes showed verified regulation by multiple antipsychotic drugs - three genes significantly upregulated and 10 genes significantly downregulated by treatment. These genes encode proteins that function in various biological processes including neurogenesis, cell adhesion, and four genes are involved in voltage-gated ion channels: neural precursor cell developmentally downregulated gene 4 (Nedd4), K, channel interacting protein 3 (KChip3), potassium voltage-gated channel, shaker-related subfamily, alpha 1 (Kcna1) encoding K(v)1.1 protein and beta 1 (Kcnab1) encoding K-v beta 1 protein. The translation of these gene expression changes to protein dysregulation for K(v)1.1, KCHIP3, and NEDD4 was confirmed by western blot with regional protein analyses undertaken for K(v)1.1 and KCHIP3. Conclusion These results suggest that transcriptional regulation of ion channels, crucial for neurotransmission, may play a role in mediating antipsychotic drug effects. Psychiatr Genet 18:226-239 (C) 2008 Wolters Kluwer Health vertical bar Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.