Oxidative Damage and Schizophrenia

Abstract

Free radicals are highly reactive chemical species generated during normal metabolic processes. which in excess can lead to membrane damage. Elaborate antioxidant defence systems exist to protect against oxidative stress. There is accumulating evidence of altered antioxidant capacity in schizophrenia. Membrane dysfunction can be secondary to free radical-mediated pathology, and may contribute to specific aspects of schizophrenic symptomatology and complications of its treatment. Specifically, free radical-mediated abnormalities may contribute to the development of a number of clinically significant consequences, including prominent negative symptoms, tardive dyskinesia, neurological 'soft' signs and parkinsonian symptoms. Our previous results showing altered membrane dynamics and antioxidant enzyme activities in schizophrenia, and findings from other investigators, are consistent with the notion of free radical-mediated neurotoxicity in schizophrenia. These findings provide a theoretical basis from which the development of novel therapeutic strategies such as fatty acid and antioxidant supplementation can occur in the future.

Rapid telomere erosion in schizophrenia

“…Although the cause is unknown, rapid telomere loss can be caused by stress, 2 oxidative damage 5 and DNA instability, 1,5 mechanisms that have been implicated in schizophrenia pathology. 6,7 These findings therefore suggest new directions of research that may illuminate the neuropathology of this enigmatic disorder.…”

Beta-glucan from Saccharomyces cerevisiae reduces plasma lipid peroxidation induced by haloperidol

“…Schizophrenia is also associated with oxidative/nitrative stress [2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13]. Moreover, in schizophrenia, oxidative stress may be induced by treatment of antipsychotic drugs [14,15].…”

Oxidative stress in blood platelets from schizophrenic patients

“…A common approach to measure oxidative stress in vivo is to determine lipid peroxidation by means of commonly used assay with thiobarbituric acid (expressed as thiobarbituric acid reactive species, TBARS). The majority of studies of oxidative stress in schizophrenic patients have examined the levels of antioxidant enzymes in plasma or in red blood cells [7,8]. In the present study we analyzed the relation between a common marker of oxidative stress (TBARS) and the activity of SOD in blood platelets of selected schizophrenia patients.…”

“…The enzymatic antioxidant system includes a variety of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (EC 1.15.6), catalase (EC 1.11.1.6) and glutathione peroxidase (EC 1.11.1.9). In schizophrenia the defense system is altered, activities of antioxidant enzymes are also changed [5][6][7] and among the three key scavenging antioxidant enzymes, the activity of SOD has been the most frequently studied [7].…”