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Cerebrospinal fluid kynurenic acid in male patients with schizophrenia – correlation with monoamine metabolites

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 June 2014

Linda K. Nilsson-Todd ,
Conny Nordin ,
Erik G. Jönsson ,
Elisabeth Skogh  and
Sophie Erhardt
Linda K. Nilsson-Todd*
Affiliation:
Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
Conny Nordin
Affiliation:
Department of Neuroscience and Locomotion, Psychiatry Section, Linköpings Universitet, Linköping, Sweden
Erik G. Jönsson
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Psychiatry Section, HUBIN Project, Karolinska Institutet and Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
Elisabeth Skogh
Affiliation:
Department of Neuroscience and Locomotion, Psychiatry Section, Linköpings Universitet, Linköping, Sweden
Sophie Erhardt
Affiliation:
Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
*
Linda K. Nilsson-Todd, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 77, Stockholm, Sweden. Tel: +46 8 5248 67 06; Fax: +46 8 31 0622; E-mail: linda.nilsson.1@ki.se
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Abstract

Background:

The tryptophan metabolite kynurenic acid (KYNA) is an endogenous glutamate/nicotinic receptor antagonist. Previous studies have shown that the concentration of the compound is increased in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with schizophrenia. Furthermore, it has been found that the CSF concentration of KYNA is positively correlated to CSF concentrations of the monoamine metabolites homovanillic acid (HVA) and 5-hydroxy indoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) in healthy control subjects.

Objectives:

To study the correlations between KYNA and the monoamine metabolites HVA, 5-HIAA and 4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenylglycol (HMPG) in CSF of male patients (n= 53, ranging from 20 to 48 years of age) with verified schizophrenia.

Methods:

CSF was obtained by lumbar puncture, and KYNA analysis was performed with an isocratic reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography system connected to a fluorescence detector. HVA, 5-HIAA and HMPG concentrations were measured by mass fragmentography with deuterium-labelled internal standards.

Results:

Positive intercorrelations were found between CSF KYNA, HVA and 5-HIAA, while CSF content of HMPG did not correlate to KYNA or any of the monoamine metabolites in CSF.

Conclusion:

The results of this study suggest that increased KYNA formation is associated with an increased dopamine and serotonin turnover in male patients with schizophrenia.

Keywords

homovanillic acid (HVA)5-hydroxy-indoleacetic acid (5-HIAA)4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenylglycol (HMPG), human
Type
Brief Report
Information
Acta Neuropsychiatrica , Volume 19 , Issue 1 , February 2007 , pp. 45 - 52
Copyright
Copyright © 2007 Blackwell Munksgaard

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