NITRIC-OXIDE SYNTHASE (NOS) IN SCHIZOPHRENIA - INCREASES IN CEREBELLAR VERMIS

A high proportion of neurons in the cerebellum and in cholinergic brai nstem nuclei stain positive for nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phos phate-diaphorase (NADPHd), which is a nitric oxide synthase (NOS). Rec ent evidence suggests that schizophrenia may involve increased numbers of NADPHd-stained neurons in different areas of the subcortex. This l ed us to examine the actual concentration of NOS in postmortem brain s pecimens of cerebellum, and the relevant regions of brainstem tegmentu m, to see if NOS concentrations were also increased in schizophrenia. Postmortem rain tissue was obtained at autopsy from schizophrenics and controls who did not have other brain disease. In patients with schiz ophrenia, NOS concentration was increased in the cerebellum (0.62 +/- 0.31 vs 0.32 +/- 0.27 absorption intensity or AI, p < 0.05), but not i n mesopontine tegmentum or temporal pole. Increased vermal NOS concent ration in schizophrenia may signify a developmentally based alteration in subcortical neuronal systems whose early development may be promot ed by basic fibroblast growth factor, rather than nerve growth factor.