Melatonin/R基因在抑郁症睡眠障碍中的表观遗传学机制

重症抑郁症是一种反复发作的慢性精神疾病，抑郁症的发生与遗传因素和环境影响密切相关，严重危害居民的身心健康。睡眠障碍是抑郁症的核心症状之一。90%以上的抑郁症患者存在不同程度的睡眠障碍，其产生的神经生物学机制尚不明确。本课题针对SSRI药物治疗的内蒙古中西部地区抑郁症患者，采用睡眠脑电监测和心理学量表评估治疗前后睡眠障碍改善状况与临床表现的变化，应用放射免疫法检测治疗前后血清褪黑素水平的改变，使用DNA甲基化测序法比较治疗前后褪黑素与受体基因启动子甲基化水平变化，寻找抑郁症睡眠障碍和褪黑素与受体基因启动子甲基化水平之间的关系。阐明褪黑素与其受体在抑郁症睡眠障碍中的表观遗传学机制。此项研究将为抑郁症患者睡眠障碍的预防和临床治疗（新药开发）提供重要理论依据和指导。

Major depression is a chronic recurrent encephalopathy which will hurt mental and physical health，and is closely related to the genetic factors and the environment impact. Sleep disorder is one of the core symptoms of depression. More than 90% patients suffered different kinds of sleep disorders, but the underlying neurobiology mechanisms are still unclear. In the present study, patients used the SSRI in the central and western regions of Inner Mongolia were collected. EEG monitoring and psychological assessment will be used to explore the sleep improvement and the changes of clinical manifestations. The level of melatonin in serum will be determined by radioimmunoassay, and DNA methylation sequencing will be measured to compare the change of melatonin and the methylation of Melatonin/R genes promoter before and after treatment. We aim to find out the relationship between major depression with sleep disorder and the methylation of Melatonin/R genes changes. Overall, we will explore the epigenetic mechanisms of Melatonin/R genes in major depression with sleep disorder. These results will provide potential clues to prevent and treat (or drug discovery) major depression with sleep disorder.