Background: Nitric oxide (NO) is known to be a signaling molecule with many physiogical functions including apoptotic process regulation. Since apoptosis may contribute to the pathophysiology of schizophrenia, this study was undertaken to determine the plasma concentrations of NO in schizophrenics. Methods: Nitrite/nitrate (NO 2 -/NO 3 -) concentrations were measured in plasma from 40 patients with schizophrenia, and 36 age-and gender-matched healthy persons using a colorimetric test. Results: Plasma NO 2 -/NO 3 -concentrations were significantly higher in patients with schizophrenia (102.8"34.7

Our results show that erythrocyte SOD activity is increased in the early phase of schizophrenia and that depends on age of onset of the disease, the number of psychotic episodes, the duration of the disease and medical treatment.

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We can conclude that the extrinsic apoptotic pathway is dysregulated in schizophrenia and sFasL may be a clinically useful disease predictor.

SummaryBackground: Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) of many genes, including the gene for neuronal nitric oxide synthase (NOS1), were found significantly associated with schizophrenia. According to our previously published results of increased plasma nitric oxide concentration in patients with schizophrenia, we hypothesized that the NOS1 gene polymorphism might be a cause of increased nitric oxide production in patients with schizophrenia and tested the interdependence between plasma nitrite/nitrate concentrations and SNP (a CT transition located in exon 29) of the human NOS1 gene. Methods: Nitrite/nitrate concentration was measured in blood plasma of 38 patients with schizophrenia and of 39 age and gender matched healthy persons by the colorimetric test. The NOS1 gene polymorphism was determined by polymerase chain reaction analysis. Results: A significantly higher plasma nitrite/nitrate concentration was found in patients with schizophrenia (97.5±33.3 mmol/L, p<0

SummaryBackgroundBrain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and nitric oxide (NO) play multiple roles in the developing and adult CNS. Since BDNF and NO metabolisms are dysregulated in schizophrenia, we measured these markers simultaneously in the blood of schizophrenics and assessed their diagnostic accuracy.MethodsThirty-eight patients with schizophrenia classified according to demographic characteristics, symptomatologyand therapy and 39 age- and gender-matched healthy controls were enrolled. BDNF was determined by the ELISA technique while the concentration of nitrite/nitrate (MJX-TeXAtom-ORDNO2−MJX-TeXAtom-ORD/MJX-TeXAtom-ORDNO3−) was measured by the colorimetric method.ResultsSerum BDNF levels were significantly lower (20.38±3.73 ng/mL, P = 1.339E-05), whilst plasma MJX-TeXAtom-ORDNO2−MJX-TeXAtom-ORD/MJX-TeXAtom-ORDNO3− concentrations were significantly higher (84.3 (72–121) μmol/L, P=4.357E-08) in patients with schizophrenia than in healthy controls (25.65±4.32 ng/mL; 60.9 (50–76) μmol/L, respectively). The lowest value of BDNF (18.14±3.26 ng/mL) and the highest MJX-TeXAtom-ORDNO2−MJX-TeXAtom-ORD/MJX-TeXAtom-ORDNO3− concentration (115.3 (80–138) μmol/L) were found in patients treated with second-generation antipsychotics (SGA). The patients diseased before the age of 24 and the patients suffering for up to one year had significantly lower serum BDNF levels than those diseased after the age of 24 and the patients who were ill longer than one year. Both BDNF and MJX-TeXAtom-ORDNO2−MJX-TeXAtom-ORD/MJX-TeXAtom-ORDNO3− showed good diagnostic accuracy, but BDNF had better ROC curve characteristics, especially in patients with negative symptomatology.ConclusionsBDNF and nitrite/nitrate showed inverse changes in schizophrenic patients. The most pronounced changes were found in patients treated with second-generation antipsychotics. Although BDNF is not specific of schizophrenia, it may be a clinically useful biomarker for the diagnosis of patients expressing predominantly negative symptoms.

The opioid relapse behavior is associated with a marked depression in post-detoxification period. The tested group M had a more expressed depression which is consistent with the literature data. In both tested groups the frequency of relapses was positively correlated with individual addiction variables associated with latent suicidal behavior. Diagnosing and monitoring depression of opiate addicts as well as timely remediation of post-detoxification depression symtoms, could help in prevention of opiate relapse.

Kratak sadr`aj: Sve je vi{e dokaza da su kortikalne }elije mozga obolelih od shizofrenije osetljive na apoptozu. Kako je apoptoza aktivna od rane faze intrauterinog `ivota, va`an mehanizam u modelovanju organizma tokom razvoja, mogla bi biti uklju~ena u patogenezu shizofrenije. U cilju testiranja ove hipoteze odre|ivana je aktivnost kaspaze-3, kolorimetrijskom metodom, u mononuklearnim }elijama periferne krvi kod 30 obolelih od shizofrenije i 30 zdravih osoba sli~ne starosti i pola. Shodno pove}anoj osetljivosti na apoptozu, aktivnost kaspaze-3 u limfocitima obolelih od shizofrenije je zna~ajno ve}a (0,111±0,055 mmol/mg proteina, p<0,05) u pore|enju sa vrednostima kontrolne grupe (0,086±0,030 mmol/mg proteina). Najvi{a aktivnost je dobijena u grupi bolesnika sa skoro podjednako izra`enom pozitivnom i negativnom simptomatologijom (0,159±0,096 mmol/mg proteina) i bila je zna~ajno vi{a (p<0,05) od vrednosti grupe sa relativnom predominacijom pozitivnih simptoma (0,100±0,029 mmol/mg proteina). Nije na |e na zna~ajna razlika u aktivnosti kaspaze-3 izme|u boles nika tretiranih tipi~nim (0,124±0,071 mmol/mg proteina) odnosno atipi~nim (0,104±0,039 mmol/mg proteina) antipsihoticima. Prema na{im saznanjima ovo su prvi rezul tati koji pokazuju da je aktivnost kaspaze-3 zna~ajno pove }ana u nativnim }elijama obolelih od shizofrenije {to uka zuje na disregulaciju apoptoti~nog mehanizma u ovoj bolesti.