Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37168668›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in neurology2023

Genetic variations in the retrograde endocannabinoid signaling pathway in Chinese patients with major depressive disorder.

Huifang Xu, Tongtong Li, Qiyong Gong, Haizhen Xu, Yongbo Hu, Wenqi Lü, Xin Yang, Jin Li, Wenming Xu, Weihong Kuang

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in neurology, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
1.5field-weighted citation impact, top 20% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 6 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Nutrients · 2026
    Article
  2. Article
  3. Research Review: What we have learned about the endocannabinoid system in developmental psychopathology.Journal of child psychology and psychiatry, and allied disciplines · 2025
    Review
  4. Article
  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.

Huifang XuDepartment of Psychiatry and National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
Tongtong LiDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
Qiyong GongDepartment of Obstetrics/Gynecology, Joint Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine (SCU-CUHK), Key Laboratory of Obstetric, Gynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects of Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
Haizhen XuDepartment of Obstetrics/Gynecology, Joint Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine (SCU-CUHK), Key Laboratory of Obstetric, Gynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects of Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
Yongbo HuDepartment of Obstetrics/Gynecology, Joint Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine (SCU-CUHK), Key Laboratory of Obstetric, Gynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects of Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
Wenqi LüDepartment of Psychiatry and National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
Xin YangDepartment of Psychiatry and National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
Jin LiDepartment of Psychiatry and National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
Wenming XuDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
Weihong KuangDepartment of Psychiatry and National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
Sichuan University · CNWest China Hospital of Sichuan University · CNUniversity of Hong Kong · HKWest China Second University Hospital of Sichuan University · CN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: The retrograde endocannabinoid (eCB) pathway is closely associated with the etiology of major depressive disorder (MDD) at both pathophysiological and genetic levels. This study aimed to investigate the potential role of genetic mutations in the eCB pathway and underlying mechanisms in Han Chinese patients with MDD. Methods: A total of 96 drug-naïve patients with first-episode MDD and 62 healthy controls (HCs) were recruited. Whole-exome sequencing was performed to identify the gene mutation profiles in patients with MDD. Results were filtered to focus on low-frequency variants and rare mutations (minor allele frequencies <0.05) related to depressive phenotypes. Enrichment analyses were performed for 146 selected genes to examine the pathways in which the most significant enrichment occurred. A protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis was performed to explore the biological functions of the eCB pathway. Finally, based on current literature, a preliminary analysis was conducted to explore the effect of genetic mutations on the function of this pathway. Results: Our analysis identified 146 (15.02%) depression-related genetic mutations in patients with MDD when compared with HCs, and 37 of the mutations were enriched in the retrograde eCB signaling pathway. Seven hub genes in the eCB pathway were closely related to mitochondrial function, including Complex I genes (NDUFS4, NDUFV2, NDUFA2, NDUFA12, NDUFB11) and genes associated with protein (PARK7) and enzyme (DLD) function in the regulation of mitochondrial oxidative stress. Conclusion: These results indicate that genetic mutations in the retrograde eCB pathway represent potential etiological factors associated with the pathogenesis of MDD.

Indexed as

genetic mutationmajor depressive disordermitochondrial functionretrograde endocannabinoid signalingwhole exome sequencing

Identifiers

PMID37168668
PMCPMC10165312
OpenAlexW4360934467

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.