Studies on a Proteolytic Enzyme System in Schizophrenia

Jacobs, James S. L.; Tempereau, Clinton E.

doi:10.1001/archneurpsyc.1952.02320210098011

Cited by 4 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…Jacobs and Tempereau (103) reported that schizophrenic patients with a chronically low tolerance to frustration or those who respond to frustration with a rapid onset of confusion, fugue, etc., showed abnormally high concentrations of a rennin inhibitor in their serum. On the other hand, schizophrenic patients lacking such emotional responses to stress showed normal rennin inhibitor values.…”

Section: Abnormal Substancesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biochemical and Physiological Changes Associated with Schizophrenia.

Domino¹

1959

Psychopharmacology: Problems in Evaluation.

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As our knowledge and clinical experience with phrenotropic drugs increases it is evident that agents such as reserpine, chlorpromazine, promazine, proclorperazine, perphenazine, and others make the disturbed psychotic more manageable but still leave him psychotic (48,130). The incidence of remissions following drug therapy appears no better than that following the myriad of more drastice somatic shock therapies. These results are not necessarily disappointing, for the widespread use of phrenotropic drugs as therapeutic adjuncts in psychiatry has strengthened the view that functions of the mind are the end result of an actively metabolizing brain. By giving fresh impetus to the search for possible physiochemical abnormalities in mental disease, the present nonspecific symptomatic drug therapies have already accomplished a great deal.Since the design of more specific drug treatments is dependent upon discrete knowledge of possible biochemical and physiological aberrations associated with mental disease, it is pertinent to the objectives of this conference to review critically the available evidence for such alterations. Both primary and secondary biochemical and physiological changes are of interest. Obviously it may be extremely difficult to distinguish between cause and effect. If one assumes that most mental disease has purely psychic etiological factors, it still follows that they will probably produce secondary physiological abnormalities; the psychosomatic literature provides many examples (40). The reverse is equally true; somatopsychic phenomena are well known. Physiological and biochemical alterations profoundly influence mental functions, as evidenced by the effects of hypoxia, hypoglycemia, and hypercapnia, and by such drugs as the hallucinogens LSD-25 and mescaline. Drug therapy, if rational, need not affect only primary physiochemical alterations, but may give symptomatic relief by modifying secondary disturbances. For example, an agent like amphetamine does not correct the primary psychopathology involving neurotic obesity but does curb the secondary increase in appetite.All physiological and biochemical changes in psychoses, if real, are of interest to the pharmacologist, for drugs might be designed that can affect either primary or secondary metabolic or physiologic disturbances. Presumably our present tranquilizers act to reduce secondary physiologic disturbances in the overreactive, vociferous, and hallucinating patient but do not affect his primary psychopathology.In 1895, Maudsley (132) wrote on insanity with excitement that: "The many diligent and elaborate chemical analyses of the urine which have been made by different inquirers in different countries, notwithstanding that the tabular exposition of them might fill a large volume, have failed to yield definite and constant results or to warrant any positive inference." This statement is equally true today for all types of insanity, but perhaps it should be qualified. Thus, in 1957, we can paraphrase Maudsley's remarks of 62 years ago and say t...

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Section: Abnormal Substancesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biochemical and Physiological Changes Associated with Schizophrenia.

Domino¹

1959

Psychopharmacology: Problems in Evaluation.

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“…Jacobs and Tenipereau ( 155) studied a proteolytic-enzyme inhibitor in the serum of ninety-six male schizophrenic patients. This substance, rennin inhibitor, was found in abnormally high concentrations in thirtysix patients, thirty-three of whom showed: (1) a chronically low tolerance to fatigue; ( 2 ) rapid or immediate appearance of confusion, amnesia, fugue, syncope, or stupor, as dissociative symptoms in response to the type of external stress which would be conducive to intense hostility, but which, in this syndrome, evoked transitory, slight, or no recognition of hostility.…”

Section: Blood Chemistrymentioning

confidence: 99%

Physiological studies.

Freeman¹

1958

Schizophrenia: A Review of the Syndrome.

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Proteolytic Enzyme System in Sexual Deviates

Marsh¹,

Hilliard²,

Liechti³

1954

Arch NeurPsych

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AS PART of a research program on sexual deviation,* a comparative study of several biochemical measures was made in an attempt to define or differentiate subgroups within a total population of hospitalized male sex offenders. This paper reports the results obtained with one of these measures, a compound or compounds present in blood sera which can be quantitatively evaluated by its inhibitory action on the milk-clotting properties of rennin enzyme.The metabolic significance of rennin inhibitor has not yet been fully explored.Concentrations in blood serum vary with age and with certain conditions of health and disease. High levels are normally found in children, adolescents, and women during pregnancy.1 Elevations of rennin inhibitor are frequently observed 2 in hypertension and asthma and during convalescent periods following acute illness and fractures. In malignant disease 3 concentrations of rennin inhibitor tend to drop under conditions of rapid tumor growth, rising to high levels as growth is controlled or when spontaneous regression occurs. On the basis of these findings it has been speculated f that elevated rennin inhibitor levels in human blood sera may reflect heightened anabolic activity. Jacobs and Tempereau 4 have reported high levels in adult schizophrenics (pri¬ marily catatonics) who show particularly weak ego defenses, low frustration toler¬ ance, and fragmented behavior under stress situations ordinarily expected to arouse hostile reactions.In a preliminary survey 5 the rennin inhibitor levels of 95 sex offenders confined at Metropolitan State Hospital for treatment under the California Sex Psychopath Act were found to be significantly higher than those obtained from a control group of 141 students, physicians, and other healthy subjects within the same age range.Since the stress of arrest, conviction, and incarceration may have accounted in part for elevations found in the sex offender group, a new study was formulated in which the factor of institutionalization could be held constant.6 In order to control this factor, two subgroups from the population of hospitalized sex offenders were studied. * This project, conducted by the

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Studies on a Proteolytic Enzyme System in Schizophrenia

Cited by 4 publications

References 0 publications

Biochemical and Physiological Changes Associated with Schizophrenia.

Biochemical and Physiological Changes Associated with Schizophrenia.

Physiological studies.

Proteolytic Enzyme System in Sexual Deviates

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