Opposite changes in phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C immunoreactivity in the left prefrontal and superior temporal cortex of patients with chronic schizophrenia.
BACKGROUND
Abnormalities in types of neurotransmitter signaling that are coupled with phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C (PLC) have previously been reported in brains from patients with schizophrenia. PLC, a main component of this pathway, may be affected in schizophrenia.


METHODS
We immunoquantified PLC beta 1, gamma 1 and delta 1 in the left prefrontal cortex and superior temporal cortex, nucleus accumbens and amygdala, and in the right superior temporal cortex of postmortem brains obtained from a total of 19 patients with schizophrenia and a total of 27 controls.


RESULTS
PLC beta 1 immunoreactivities were increased in the particulate fraction from the prefrontal cortex (by 64%), although they were decreased in the particulate fraction from the left superior temporal cortex (by 28%), as compared with the values in controls. There was no difference in PLC beta 1 immunoreactivities in the nucleus accumbens, the amygdala or the right superior temporal cortex between schizophrenic patients and controls. PLC gamma 1 and delta 1 immunoreactivities did not differ between the two groups in any of the regions studied.


CONCLUSIONS
Changes in PLC beta 1 immunoreactivities in the prefrontal and superior temporal cortex of patients with schizophrenia may reflect abnormalities in neurotransmissions via receptors that are coupled with the Gq alpha-PLC beta 1 cascade.
Lin
X H
XH
Department of Psychiatry and Neurology, Kobe University School of Medicine, Japan.
Kitamura
N
N
Hashimoto
T
T
Shirakawa
O
O
Maeda
K
K
D000679:Amygdala / Q000201:enzymology; D015153:Blotting, Western; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009714:Nucleus Accumbens / Q000201:enzymology; D010716:Phosphatidylinositols / Q000378:metabolism*; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000201:enzymology*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000201:enzymology*; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000201:enzymology*; D010738:Type C Phospholipases / Q000378:metabolism*
D010716:Phosphatidylinositols; D010738:Type C Phospholipases