title: Histochemical changes in the blood cells of schizophrenic patients under pimozide treatment.
abstract: Chromatin structure and nucleohistone pattern were investigated histochemically in the neutrophils of 11 schizophrenics and 16 healthy controls. Compared to controls, all schizophrenic parents prior to medication showed a distinctly different histochemical pattern consisting of increased concentration and abnormal distribution of nucleohistones. This pattern has been attributed to an increase of arginine-rich histones in schizophrenics. Pimozide administration exerted a normalizing effect on the nucleohistone distribution pattern. These findings further support our view that genomic expression abnormalities may be related to schizophrenic illness.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001120:Arginine / Q000378:metabolism; D002843:Chromatin / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D006657:Histones / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D010868:Pimozide / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D012562:Schizophrenia, Disorganized / Q000097:blood; D012563:Schizophrenia, Paranoid / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D002843:Chromatin; D006657:Histones; D010868:Pimozide; D001120:Arginine