Cerebrospinal fluid D-serine and glycine concentrations are unaltered and unaffected by olanzapine therapy in male schizophrenic patients.
N-Methyl D-aspartate (NMDA)-receptor hypofunction has been implicated in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and D-serine and glycine add-on therapy to antipsychotics has shown beneficial effects in schizophrenic patients. Nevertheless, previous studies have not shown consistently altered D-serine concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of schizophrenic patients. To confirm and extend these results, CSF concentrations of both endogenous NMDA-receptor co-agonists d-serine and glycine and their common precursor L-serine were analyzed simultaneously in 17 healthy controls and 19 schizophrenic patients before and 6 weeks after daily olanzapine (10 mg) treatment. CSF D-serine, L-serine and glycine concentrations and their relative ratios were similar between schizophrenic patients and controls and no differences were observed before and after olanzapine therapy. Thus, the NMDA-receptor hypofunction hypothesis in schizophrenia is not explained by olanzapine therapy-dependent absolute or relative decreases in CSF D-serine and glycine concentrations in this series of male patients, thereby not providing convenient markers for the disorder.
Fuchs
Sabine A
SA
Department of Metabolic and Endocrine Diseases and Department of Biomedical Genetics, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands. S.Fuchs@umcutrecht.nl
De Barse
Martina M J
MM
Scheepers
Floor E
FE
Cahn
Wiepke
W
Dorland
Lambertus
L
de Sain-van der Velden
Monique G
MG
Klomp
Leo W J
LW
Berger
Ruud
R
Kahn
René S
RS
de Koning
Tom J
TJ
D000328:Adult; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001569:Benzodiazepines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005998:Glycine / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000077152:Olanzapine; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012694:Serine / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D001569:Benzodiazepines; D012694:Serine; D000077152:Olanzapine; D005998:Glycine