Mitochondrial dysfunction as a critical event in the pathophysiology of bipolar disorder.

Translational Psychiatry Program, Louis A. Faillace, MD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UT Health), Houston, TX, USA. Laboratory of Experimental Neurology, Graduate Program in Health Sciences, University of Southern Santa Catarina (UNESC), Criciúma, SC, Brazil. Translational Psychiatry Program, Louis A. Faillace, MD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UT Health), Houston, TX, USA; Translational Psychiatry Laboratory, Graduate Program in Health Sciences, University of Southern Santa Catarina (UNESC), Criciúma, SC, Brazil; Center of Excellence on Mood Disorders, Louis A. Faillace, MD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UT Health), Houston, TX, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UT Health Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX, USA. Electronic address: joao.l.dequevedo@uth.tmc.edu.

Mitochondrion. 2021;:23-36

Abstract

The understanding of the pathophysiology of bipolar disorder (BD) remains modest, despite recent advances in neurobiological research. The mitochondrial dysfunction hypothesis of bipolar disorder has been corroborated by several studies involving postmortem brain analysis, neuroimaging, and specific biomarkers in both rodent models and humans. Evidence suggests that BD might be related to abnormal mitochondrial morphology and dynamics, neuroimmune dysfunction, and atypical mitochondrial metabolism and oxidative stress pathways. Mitochondrial dysfunction in mood disorders is also associated with abnormal Ca2+ levels, glutamate excitotoxicity, an imbalance between pro- and antiapoptotic proteins towards apoptosis, abnormal gene expression of electron transport chain complexes, and decreased ATP synthesis. This paper aims to review and discuss the implications of mitochondrial dysfunction in BD etiology and to explore mitochondria as a potential target for novel therapeutic agents.

Methodological quality

Publication Type : Review

Metadata