INOSITOL LEVELS ARE DECREASED IN POSTMORTEM BRAIN OF SCHIZOPHRENIC-PATIENTS

Background: A previous study reported decreased levels of inositol in frontal cortex of postmortem brain from bipolar patients and suicide v ictims. The aim of the present study was to test the specificity of th is finding. Methods: Inositol and the enzyme that synthesizes it, inos itol monophosphatase, were measured in postmortem brain tissue from fr ontal and occipital cortex and cerebellum from 10 schizophrenic patien ts and the previously reported controls. Inositol levels were assayed gas-chromatographically as trimethylsilyl derivatives with mannitol as an internal standard. Inositol monophosphatase activity in brain homo genates was measured as the difference between phosphate release from inositol-1-phosphate in the absence and in the presence of Li+. Result s: Inositol was significantly reduced in all three areas in the schizo phrenic patients' brains; inositol monophosphatase was unchanged Postm ortem interval did not correlate with inositol levels and did not diff er between control group and schizophrenic patients, Conclusions: Thes e results suggest an abnormality of second messenger precursor availab ility in common with schizophrenia and affective psychopathology. (C) 1998 Society of Biological Psychiatry.