Publications by authors named "Kassandra Zachos"

Background: There is a growing body of evidence suggesting that antidepressant drugs (ADs) alter the gut microbiome of persons with depressive disorders. Herein, we aim to investigate the gut microbial profile of AD-treated animal models of depression (MoD) and persons with major depressive disorder (MDD).

Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis investigating the gut microbiome community-level diversity and relative abundance of microbial taxa in AD-treated animal MoD and persons with MDD.

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The various roles of the mitochondria and the microbiome in health and disease have been thoroughly investigated, though they are often examined independently and in the context of chronic disease. However, the mitochondria and microbiome are closely connected, namely, through their evolution, maternal inheritance patterns, overlapping role in many diseases and their importance in the maintenance of human health. The concept known as the "mitochondria-microbiome crosstalk" is the ongoing bidirectional crosstalk between these two entities and warrants further exploration and consideration, especially in the context of primary mitochondrial disease, where mitochondrial dysfunction can be detrimental for clinical manifestation of disease, and the role and composition of the microbiome is rarely investigated.

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Background: Nutrition is largely affected in bipolar disorder (BD), however, there is a lack of understanding on the relationship between dietary categories, BD, and the prevalence of metabolic syndrome. The objective of this study is to examine dietary trends in BD and it is hypothesized that diets with increased consumption of seafood and high-fiber carbohydrates will be correlated to improved patient outcomes, and a lower frequency of metabolic syndrome.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study includes two French cohorts.

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Article Synopsis
  • This study investigates the link between mitochondrial blood biomarkers, specifically lactate and circulating cell-free mitochondrial DNA, and markers of metabolic syndrome in bipolar disorder patients, hypothesizing that lactate levels would be higher in those with metabolic syndrome.
  • The research involved a large cohort of 837 stable bipolar disorder patients and 237 others for validation, revealing that higher lactate levels correlated significantly with factors like triglycerides and blood pressure, indicating a strong association with metabolic syndrome.
  • The findings suggest that while lactate is a key biomarker related to metabolic syndrome in bipolar patients, circulating mitochondrial DNA levels do not show this same correlation, highlighting the potential for personalized treatment strategies based on these metabolite profiles.
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Background: Mitochondrial dysfunction is involved in several diseases ranging from genetic mitochondrial disorders to chronic metabolic diseases. An emerging approach to potentially treat mitochondrial dysfunction is the transplantation of autologous live mitochondria to promote cell regeneration. We tested the differential filtration-based mitochondrial isolation protocol established by the McCully laboratory for use in cellular models but found whole cell contaminants in the mitochondrial isolate.

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Bipolar disorder (BD) is a debilitating mood disorder with no specific biological marker. No novel treatment has been developed specifically for BD in the last several decades. Although the pathophysiology of BD remains unclear, there is strong evidence in the literature supporting the role of mitochondrial dysfunction in BD.

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