title: Abnormal plasma monoamine metabolism in schizophrenia and its correlation with clinical responses to risperidone treatment.
abstract: Abnormalities in plasma monoamine metabolism reflect partly the illness of schizophrenia and sometimes the symptoms. Such studies have been repeatedly reported but have rarely taken both metabolites and parent amines or inter-amine activity ratios into account. In this study, the monoamines, their metabolites, turnovers and between-metabolite ratios in plasma were measured longitudinally in 32 schizophrenic patients treated with risperidone for 6 weeks, to examine possible biochemical alterations in schizophrenia, and to examine the association between treatment responses and psychopathology assessed according to the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). The results showed lower level of plasma 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) in relapsed versus first-episode schizophrenic patients, higher norepinephrine (NE) turnover rate (TR) in undifferentiated in comparison to paranoid schizophrenic patients and relatively higher metabolic activity of dopamine (DA) to serotonin (5-HT) in first-episode versus relapsed schizophrenic patients. Risperidone treatment induced a decrement of plasma DA levels and increments of plasma DOPAC and DA TR in the total group of schizophrenic patients. The turnover rate of 5-HT was was reduced in undifferentiated and relapsed subgroups of schizophrenic patients. The linkages between 5-HT TR, DA/NE relative activity and clinical symptomatology were also identified. These findings are consistent with an involvement of these systems in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia as well as in the responses to treatment, and the usefulness of certain biochemical indices as markers for subgrouping.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacology Research Institute, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.
authors.forename: Hua-Lin
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.forename: Ping-Fei
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: Huan-De
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xiang-Hui
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Wen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Hai-Sen
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Ye
mesh_terms: D015102:3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid / Q000097:blood; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015306:Biogenic Monoamines / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D004298:Dopamine / Q000097:blood; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008771:Nordefrin / Q000097:blood; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D018967:Risperidone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012701:Serotonin / Q000097:blood; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D015306:Biogenic Monoamines; D015102:3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid; D012701:Serotonin; D018967:Risperidone; D008771:Nordefrin; D004298:Dopamine