Hui-chun Li1, Qiao-zhen Chen, Ying Ma, Jun-fu Zhou. 1. Department of Psychiatry, the Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310009, China.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To examine changes of blood oxidative-antiovidative level in schizophrenic patients and its relationship with clinical symptoms. METHODS: Forty-six Chinese patients met DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV) criteria for schizophrenia and fifty age- and sex-matched healthy controls were enrolled in the present study. Baseline psychiatric symptom severity was assessed with brief psychiatric rating scale, positive and negative syndrome scale on the blood draw day. Fresh blood samples were collected to measure levels of nitric oxide and lipid peroxide in plasma as well as activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase in red blood cells by spectrophotometric assays simultaneously. RESULTS: Comparison of the biochemical parameters indicated that the level of nitric oxide and lipid peroxide increased in patient group, which represented a positive correlation with positive scale scores; while the activities of three critical enzymes decreased and showed a negative linear correlation. CONCLUSION: This study showed that there are dysregulation of free radical metabolism and poor activities of the antioxidant defense systems in schizophrenic patients. Excess free radicals formation may play a critical role in the etiology of schizophrenia. Using antioxidants might be an effective therapeutic approach to partially alleviate or prevent the symptoms of schizophrenia.
OBJECTIVE: To examine changes of blood oxidative-antiovidative level in schizophrenicpatients and its relationship with clinical symptoms. METHODS: Forty-six Chinese patients met DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV) criteria for schizophrenia and fifty age- and sex-matched healthy controls were enrolled in the present study. Baseline psychiatric symptom severity was assessed with brief psychiatric rating scale, positive and negative syndrome scale on the blood draw day. Fresh blood samples were collected to measure levels of nitric oxide and lipid peroxide in plasma as well as activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase in red blood cells by spectrophotometric assays simultaneously. RESULTS: Comparison of the biochemical parameters indicated that the level of nitric oxide and lipid peroxide increased in patient group, which represented a positive correlation with positive scale scores; while the activities of three critical enzymes decreased and showed a negative linear correlation. CONCLUSION: This study showed that there are dysregulation of free radical metabolism and poor activities of the antioxidant defense systems in schizophrenicpatients. Excess free radicals formation may play a critical role in the etiology of schizophrenia. Using antioxidants might be an effective therapeutic approach to partially alleviate or prevent the symptoms of schizophrenia.
Authors: Hans-Willi Clement; Juan F Vazquez; Olaf Sommer; Philip Heiser; Henning Morawietz; Ulrich Hopt; Eberhard Schulz; Ernst von Dobschütz Journal: J Neural Transm (Vienna) Date: 2009-10-29 Impact factor: 3.575