title: Phospholipids and calcium alterations in platelets of schizophrenic patients.
abstract: Alterations in phospholipid metabolism in blood elements have been proposed as the possible biochemical marker of schizophrenia. In the present study, we investigated the composition and membrane distribution of phospholipids in platelets of drug-free schizophrenic patients and controls. We have demonstrated that platelets of drug-free schizophrenics have significantly higher cytosolic Ca2+ levels in comparison with healthy controls. Platelets of drug-free schizophrenic patients have a lower content of phosphatidylinositol (PI). After thrombin activation, PI is the target of phospholipase C instead of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2), which is hydrolyzed in platelets of controls. Alterations in the distribution of phospholipids were found in the plasma membrane of platelets of schizophrenic patients. We suggest that alterations in phospholipid metabolism might be evoked by a disturbance of calcium homeostasis in schizophrenic patients.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biochemistry, Prague Psychiatric Centre, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rípová
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Strunecká
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Nemcová
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Farská
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D002118:Calcium / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000378:metabolism; D006706:Homeostasis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019269:Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-Diphosphate / Q000097:blood; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000097:blood*; D011744:Pyrimidinones / Q000378:metabolism; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000097:blood*; D013917:Thrombin / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D019269:Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-Diphosphate; D010743:Phospholipids; D011744:Pyrimidinones; C003954:merocyanine dye; D013917:Thrombin; D002118:Calcium