Effects of an antipsychotic (Olanzapine) involves alterations in gene specific DNA methylation

The results suggest that these downstream effects, aside from D2 blockade, may play a critical role in the biological actions of antipsychotics. These include altered expressions of relevant genes involved in GABAergic, glutamatergic, cholinergic, neuregulin and ErbB signaling pathways. Epigenetic mechanisms involving changes in DNA methylation could, therefore, explain the delay and individualized non-specificity of biological effects of olanzapine. The results also suggest that DNA methylation may play a role in the process of therapeutic efficacy of olanzapine by altering the transcriptome via tissue-specific methylation of genes involved in schizophrenia signaling pathways.