SIGNIFICANT REDUCTIONS IN SYNAPSIN BUT NOT SYNAPTOPHYSIN SPECIFIC ACTIVITY IN THE BRAINS OF SOME SCHIZOPHRENICS

The levels of the synaptic vesicle-associated proteins, synapsin and s ynaptophysin, were examined in human postmortem hippocampus from the b rains of schizophrenics and age-matched controls using a quantitative western blot analysis. The schizophrenic samples had significantly low er levels of synapsin I than controls. In individual data, Jive of the seven schizophrenic samples had extremely low levels of synapsin, whe reas two of the schizophrenic samples had normal levels of synapsin. T his deficit in synapsin does nat appear to be due to some non-specific neuronal loss as the levels of the other synaptic vesicle marker, syn aptophysin, were near normal in all seven schizophrenics. Given that s ynapsin is thought to regulate neurotransmitter release, it is possibl e that this deficit in synapsin could result in abnormal processing of neuronal information as is seen in various sensory processing abnorma lities associated with schizophrenia.