TY - JOUR
T1 - Utilization of precursor essential fatty acids in culture by skin fibroblasts from schizophrenic patients and normal controls
AU - Mahadik, S. P.
AU - Shendarkar, N. S.
AU - Scheffer, R. E.
AU - Mukherjee, S.
AU - Correnti, E. E.
N1 - Funding Information:
Initial support was provided by a grant # MH 46546 from NIH-NIMH. Authors are thankful to Mrs. Mugdha Ghodke and Ms. Jayasri Mahadik for their laboratory assistance in establishing and maintaining the skin fibroblast cultures.
PY - 1996/8
Y1 - 1996/8
N2 - Based on the lower levels of long-chain polyunsaturated analogs of essential fatty acids (EPUFAs) in plasma membrane phospholipids of red blood cells, brain and cultured skin fibroblasts from schizophrenic patients, a defective utilization (uptake, conversion to EPUFAs and incorporation into membrane phospholipids) of precursor EFAs has been suggested. Utilization of radiolabeled linoleic (LA, 18:2(n-6)) and alpha-linoleic (ALA, 18:3(n-3)) acids was studied in cultured skin fibroblasts from patients with established schizophrenia and at the first episode of psychosis, and normal controls. Uptake and incorporation of both the EFAs were similar in fibroblasts from both groups of patients studied compared with normal controls. However, although the utilization of LA into arachidonic acid (AA, 20:4n-6) was similar in patients and controls, the utilization of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5(n-3)) into docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6(n-3)) was significantly lower in first-episode psychotic patients (patients, 96.33 ± 27.16 versus normals, 161.66 ± 26.33 nmoles per mg total protein; P = < 0.001). This data indicates that the level of Δ6- as well as Δ5-desaturase may be normal. However, the levels of Δ4-desaturase may be lower in fibroblasts from schizophrenic patients even at the first episode of psychosis.
AB - Based on the lower levels of long-chain polyunsaturated analogs of essential fatty acids (EPUFAs) in plasma membrane phospholipids of red blood cells, brain and cultured skin fibroblasts from schizophrenic patients, a defective utilization (uptake, conversion to EPUFAs and incorporation into membrane phospholipids) of precursor EFAs has been suggested. Utilization of radiolabeled linoleic (LA, 18:2(n-6)) and alpha-linoleic (ALA, 18:3(n-3)) acids was studied in cultured skin fibroblasts from patients with established schizophrenia and at the first episode of psychosis, and normal controls. Uptake and incorporation of both the EFAs were similar in fibroblasts from both groups of patients studied compared with normal controls. However, although the utilization of LA into arachidonic acid (AA, 20:4n-6) was similar in patients and controls, the utilization of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5(n-3)) into docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6(n-3)) was significantly lower in first-episode psychotic patients (patients, 96.33 ± 27.16 versus normals, 161.66 ± 26.33 nmoles per mg total protein; P = < 0.001). This data indicates that the level of Δ6- as well as Δ5-desaturase may be normal. However, the levels of Δ4-desaturase may be lower in fibroblasts from schizophrenic patients even at the first episode of psychosis.
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U2 - 10.1016/S0952-3278(96)90147-7
DO - 10.1016/S0952-3278(96)90147-7
M3 - Article
C2 - 8888125
AN - SCOPUS:0029783461
SN - 0952-3278
VL - 55
SP - 65
EP - 70
JO - Prostaglandins Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids
JF - Prostaglandins Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids
IS - 1-2
ER -