Oxidative injury and antioxidant vitamins E and C in Schizophrenia

Abstract

Susceptibility of Schizophrenic patients to lipid peroxidation relative to healthy control subjects was investigated by measuring the malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in plasma. The main finding was that Schizophrenic patients were more susceptible than control subjects to oxidative damage as evident from increased MDA levels in plasma. Antioxidant levels are also depleted in Schizophrenic patients when compared to normal subjects as evident from decreased levels of vitamins E and C in the plasma. Impaired antioxidant defense and increased lipid peroxidation suggests that treatment with antioxidants (Vitamin E, Vitamin C, beta carotene) at the initial stages of illness may prevent further oxidative injury and deterioration of associated neurological deficits in Schizophrenia.

Decrease in Antioxidant Status of Plasma and Erythrocytes from Geriatric Population

“…Mounted against them is a multilayer defense system manned by antioxidants that react with and disarm these damaging molecules. The human body has a complex antioxidant defense system that includes enzymes like superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GR), catalase (CAT) and non-enzymes like glutathione (GSH) [5,6]. Since age related changes in antioxidants in erythrocytes have not been systematically studied, the objective of the present study was to evaluate the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) and antioxidants SOD, GPx, GR, CAT and G-SH in elderly people.…”

A comparative study on oxidative stress and antioxidant status in ischemic stroke patients with and without diabetes

“…Recently increased oxidative stress and impaired anti oxidant defense have been suggested as a contributory factor for initiation and progression of complications in schizophrenia, diabetes, malaria and coronary artery diseases (6,19,20,21). To study the antioxidant potential of ischemic stroke patients we have included Glutathione (GSH), Uric acid and Ceruloplasmin in our study.…”

“…Experimental studies provide evidence of an association between ischemic stroke and increased oxidative stress, but data in humans are still limited and controversial . We have particularly studied the products of lipid peroxidation since the brain is very rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids which are highly susceptible to free radical attack (6)(7)(8)(9). The present study was therefore undertaken to compare the oxidative stress and the antioxidant status in ischemic stroke patients with and without diabetes .…”

Vitamin Supplementation in the Treatment of Schizophrenia

“…The investigators then examined plasma vitamin C levels in a separate group of schizophrenia patients (n=15) vs controls after vitamin C supplementation (70 mg/day for four weeks in addition to antipsychotic treatment); the plasma vitamin C levels were similar in both groups, but urinary excretion was lower among patient sample, suggesting an impairment in vitamin C metabolism. In another small study among 14 inpatients with schizophrenia in India, plasma vitamin E and C levels were significantly lower when compared to control subjects[13]. …”

“…There is an urgent need forpharmacologic treatment beyond current antipsychotic medications to address these residual symptoms, which contribute substantially to functional impairment [1, 2]. Numerous investigators have associated schizophrenia with vitamin deficiencies, either after the illness has been diagnosed or during prenatal development[3-13]. Vitamin supplementation could provide therapeutic benefits through separate mechanisms of action than our current medication regimens, which focus largely on monoamine and histamine signaling.…”