title: Alterations of brain membranes in schizophrenia: impact of phospholipase A(2).
abstract: Physiological enzymatic cleavage of membrane phospholipids by phospholipase A2 (PLA2) results in normal levels of phosphomonoester and phosphodiester, by which a normal dopamine neurotransmission is maintained. Data from postmortem tissue and in vivo imaging studies suggest that increased activity of intracellular calcium-independent PLA2 (iPLA2) in the brain of schizophrenic patients might accelerate the breakdown of membrane phospholipids and alter the properties of neuronal membranes, which in turn contributes to a hypodopaminergy. Alterations in PLA2 activity are probably genetically determined and represent a possible pharmacological target for Schizophrenia.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neuroscience (LIM-27), Department and Institute of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: E L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Schaeffer
authors.forename: W F
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Gattaz
authors.forename: G P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Eckert
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008563:Membrane Lipids / Q000378:metabolism*; D059906:Neuroimaging; D054467:Phospholipases A2 / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000378:metabolism*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D008563:Membrane Lipids; D010743:Phospholipids; D054467:Phospholipases A2; D004298:Dopamine