Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Fatty Acids, Phospholipids, and Schizophrenia

  • Chapter
Handbook of Essential Fatty Acid Biology

Abstract

The basic reasons for considering the possibility that lipid abnormalities may be important in psychiatric disorders are reviewed in detail in Chapter 7. In brief, lipids are required for the normal structures of all neural membranes. Lipid structure is an important determinant of the final tertiary structure of membrane associated proteins such as receptors, ion channels, and adenosine triphophatases. The potential influence of apparently minor variations in lipid structure on membrane protein function is well illustrated by the work of Witt and Nielsen (1994). They demonstrated that the addition of two carbon atoms to a fatty acid (FA) chain, or the insertion of a double bond into a FA, could substantially change the amount of benzodiazepine bound to a receptor. This is likely to be a general principle: Relatively small changes in membrane lipid structure can lead to consequential changes in tertiary protein structure and therefore in the function of a wide variety of membranebound and membrane-associated proteins.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 169.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Berry-Kravis, E., Freedman, S. B., and Dawson, G. (1984) Specific receptor-mediated inhibition of cyclic AMP synthesis by dopamine in a neuroblastoma X brain hybrid cell line NCB-20. J. Neurochem. 43, 413–420.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Blobe, G. C., Khan, W. A., and Hannun, Y. A. (1995) Protein kinase C: cellular target of the second messenger arachidonic acid? Prostaglandins Leukotrienes Essential Fatty Acids 52, 129–136.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bourgignon, A. (1984) Trial of evening primrose oil in the treatment of schizophrenia. L’Encephale 10, 241–250.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brenner, R. R. (1981) Nutritional and hormonal factors influencing desaturation of essential fatty acids. Prog. Lipid Res. 20, 41–48.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Brus, R., Herman, Z. S., Szkilnik, R., and Cichon, R. (1983) Effect of prostaglandins on chloropromazine induced catalepsy in mice. Biomed. Biochim. Acta 42, 1211–1244.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Christensen, O. and Christensen, E. (1988) Fat consumption and schizophrenia. Acta Psychiatr. Scand. 78, 587–591.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Davidson, B., Kurstjens, N. P., Patton, J., and Cantrill, R. C. (1988) Essential fatty acids modulate apomorphine activity at dopamine receptors in cat caudate slices. Eur. J. Pharmacol. 149, 317–322.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Davis, G. C., Buchsbaum, M. S., van Kammen, D. P., and Bunney, W. E. (1979). Analgesia to pain stimuli in schizophrenics and its reversal by naltrexone. Psychiatry Res. 1, 61–69.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Di Marzo, V. and Piomelli, D. (1992) Participation of prostaglandin E2 in dopamine D2 receptor-dependent potentiation of arachidonic response. J. Neurochem. 59, 379–382.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gattaz, W. F., Hubner, C. V. K., and Nevalainen, T. J. (1990) Increased serum phospholipase A2 activity in schizophrenia: a replication study. Biol. Psychiatry 28, 495–501.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Glen, A. I. M., Cooper, S. J., Rybakowski, J., Vaddadi, K., Brayshaw, N., and Horrobin, D. F. (1996) Membrane fatty acids, niacin flushing and clinical parameters. Prostaglandins Leukotrienes Essential Fatty Acids in press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Glen, A. I. M., Glen, E. M. T., Horrobin, D. F., Vaddadi, K. S., Spellman, M., Morse-Fisher, N., Ells, K., and Shinner, F. S. (1994) A red cell abnormality in a subgroup of schizophrenic patients: evidence for two diseases. Schizophr. Res. 12, 53–61.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hinsberger, A., Williamson, P. C., Carr, T., Stanley, J., Drost, D., Densmore, M., MacFabe, G., and Montemurro, D. (1995) MM volumetric measures and 31P MRS in schizophrenia. Schizophr. Res. 15, 83–84.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Horrobin, D. F. (1977) Schizophrenia as a prostaglandin deficiency disease. Lancet i, 1936–1937.

    Google Scholar 

  • Horrobin, D. F. (1979) Schizophrenia: reconciliation of the dopamine, prostaglandin and opiod concepts and the role of the pineal. Lancet i, 529–531.

    Google Scholar 

  • Horrobin, D. F. (1980) Niacin flushing, prostaglandin E and evening primrose oil. A possible objective test for monitoring therapy in schizophrenia. J. Orthomol. Psychiatry 9, 33–34.

    Google Scholar 

  • Horrobin, D. F. (1990) Gamma-linolenic acid. Rev. Contemp. Pharmacother. 1, 1–41.

    Google Scholar 

  • Horrobin, D. F. (1992a) Nutritional and medical importance of gamma-linolenic acid. Progr. Lipid Res. 31, 163–192.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Horrobin, D. F. (1992b) The relationship between schizophrenia and essential fatty acids and eicosanoid production. Prostaglandins Leukotrienes Essential Fatty Acids 46, 71–77.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Horrobin, D. F., Ally, A. I., Karmali, R. A., Karmazyn, M., Manku, M. S., and Morgan, R. O. (1978) Prostaglandins and schizophrenia: further discussion of the evidence. Psychol. Med. 8, 43–48.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Horrobin, D. F., Glen, A. I. M., and Hudson, C. J. (1995) Possible relevance of phospholipid abnormalities and genetic interactions in psychiatric disorders: the relationship between dyslexia and schizophrenia. Med. Hypothesis 45, 605–613.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Horrobin, D. F., Glen, A. I. M., and Vaddadi, K. (1994). The membrane hypothesis of schizophrenia. Schizophr. Res. 13, 195–207.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Horrobin, D. F., Manku, M. S., Morse-Fisher, N., Vaddadi, K. S., Courtney, P., Glen, A. I. M., Glen, E., Spellman, M., and Bates, C. (1989) Essential fatty acids in plasma phospholipids in schizophrenics. Biol. Psychiatry 25, 562–568.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Huang, Y. S., Horrobin, D. F., Watanabe, Y., Bartlett, M. E., and Simmons, V. A. (1990) Effects of dietary linoleic acid on growth and liver phospholipid fatty acid composition in intact and gonadectomized rats. Biochem. Arch. 6, 47–54.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hudson, C. J., Kennedy, J. L., Gotowiec, A., Lin, A., King, N., Gojtan, K., Macciardi, E, Skorecki, K., Meltzerl, H. Y, Warsh, J. J., and Horrobin, D. R (1996) Genetic variant near cytosolic phospholipase A2 associated with schizophrenia. Schizophr. Res. in press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hudson, C. J., Lin, A., Cogan, S., and Warsh, J. J. (1995) Clinical detection of altered prostaglandin function in schizophrenia sub-type. Schizophr. Res. 15, 60.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Iacono, W. G. and Beiser, M. (1992) Where are the woman in the first-episode studies of schizophrenia? Schizophr. Bull. 18, 471–480.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kaiya, H., Horrobin, D. F., Manku, M. S., and Morse-Fisher, N. (1991) Essential and other fatty acids in schizophrenic individuals from Japan. Biol. Psychiatry 30, 357–562.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lin, A. and Hudson, C. J. (1996) The niacin challenge test in schizophrenia: past, present and future. Prostaglandins Leukotrienes Essential Fatty Acids in press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lipper, S. and Werman, D. S. (1977) Schizophrenia and intercurrent physical illness: a critical review of the literature. Compr. Psychiatry 18, 11–22.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Morrow, J. D., Awad, J. A., Oates, J. A., and Roberts, L. J. (1992) Identification of skin as a major site of prostaglandin D2 release following oral administration of niacin in humans. J. Invest. Dermatol., 98, 812–815.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Murray, R. M., O’Callaghan, E., Castle, D. J., and Lewis, S. W. (1992) A neuro-developmental approach to the classification of schizophrenia. Schizophr. Bull. 319–332.

    Google Scholar 

  • Myers, P. R., Blosser, J., and Shain, W. (1978) Neurotransmitter modulation of prostaglandin-El stumulated increases in cyclic AMP. II. Characterisation of a cultured neuronal cell line treated with dibutyryl cyclic AMP. Biochem. Pharmacol. 27, 1173–1177.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Oka, M., Manku, M. S., and Horrobin, D. F. (1981) Interactions between dopamine and prostaglandins on vascular reactivity of noradrenaline: dopamine inhibits the action of PGE1. Prostaglandins Med. 7, 267–280.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Peet, M., Laugharne, J. D., Horrobin, D. F., and Reynolds, G. P. (1994) Arachidonic acid: a common link in the biology of schizophrenia. Arch. Gen. Psychiatry 51, 665, 666.

    Google Scholar 

  • Peet, M., Laugharne, J. D. E., Mellor, J., and Ramchard, C. N. (1996) Essential fatty acid deficiency in erythrocyte membranes from chronic schizophrenic patients and the clinical effects of dietary supplementation. Prostaglandins Leukotrienes Essential Fatty Acids, in press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pettegrew, J. W., Keshavan, M. S., and Minchew, N. J. (1993) 31P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy: neurodevelopment and schizophrenia. Schizophr. Bull. 35–53.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pettegrew, J. W., Keshavan, M. S., and Panchalingram, K. (1991) A pilot study of the dorsal prefrontal cortex using in vivo phosphorous 31 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Arch. Gen. Psychiatry 48, 563–568.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rudin, D. O. (1981) The major psychoses and neuroses as omega-3 essential fatty acid deficiency syndrome: substrate pellagra. Biol. Psychiatry 16, 837–850.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rybakowski, J. and Weterle, R. (1991) Niacin test in schizophrenia. Biol. Psychiatry 29, 834–836.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schwartz, R. D., Uretsky, N. J., and Bianchine, J. R. (1972) Prostaglandin inhibition of apomorphine-induced circling in mice. Pharmacol. Biochem. Behay. 17, 1233.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Seiler, D. and Hasselbach, W. (1971) Essential fatty acid deficiency and the activity of the sarcoplasmic calcium pump. Eur. J. Biochem. 21, 385–387.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Soulirac, A., Lambinet, H., and Heuman, J. C. (1990) Schizophrenia and PGs: therapeutic effects of PG precursors in the form of evening primrose oil. Ann. Med. Psychol. 8, 883–890.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tay, A., Simon, J. S., Squire, J., Hamel, K., Jacob, H. J., and Skorecki, K. (1995) Cytosolic phospholipase A2 gene in human and rat: chromosomal localization and polymorphic markers. Genetics 26, 138–141.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Trzeciak, H. I., Kalacinski, W., Malecki, A., and Kokot, D. (1995) Effect of neuroleptics on phospholipase A2 activity in the brain of rats. Eur. Arch. Psychiatry Clin. Neurosci. 245, 179–182.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ulas, J. and Cotman, C. W. (1993) Excitatory amino acid receptors in schizophrenia. Schizophr. Bull. 19, 105–117.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Vaddadi, K. S. (1992) Use of gamma-linolenic acid and in the treatment of schizophrenia and tardive dyskinesia. Prostaglandins Leukotrienes Essential Fatty Acids 46, 67–70.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Vaddadi, K. S., Courtney, P., Gilleard, C. J., Manku, M. S., and Horrobin, D. F. (1988) A double-blind trial of essential fatty acid supplementation in patients with tardive dyskinesia. Psychiatry Res. 27, 313–323.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vaddadi, K. S., Gilleard, C. J., Mindham, R. H. S., and Butler, R. A. (1986) A controlled trial of prostaglandin El precursor in chronic neuroleptic resistant schizophrenic patients. Psychopharmacology 88, 362–367.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Vial, D. and Piomelli, D. (1995) Dopamine D2 receptors potentiate arachidonate release via activation of cytosolic, archidonate-specific phospholipase A2. J. Neurochem. 64, 2765–2772.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Vinogradov, S., Gottesman, I. I., Moises, H. W., and Nicol, S. (1991) Negative association between schizophrenia and rheumatoid arthritis. Schizophr. Bull. 17, 669–678.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wahl, O. F. and Hunter, J. (1992) Are gender effects being neglected in schizophrenia research? Schizophr. Bull. 18, 313–317.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Witt, M. R. and Nielsen, M. (1994) Characterisation of the influence of unsaturated free fatty acids on brain GABA/benzodiazepine receptor binding in vitro. J. Neurochem. 62, 1432–1439.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • World Health Organization (1979) Schizophrenia: An International Follow-Up Study. Wiley, New York.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors
  1. David F. Horrobin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Psychopharmacology Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel

    Shlomo Yehuda

  2. Department of Psychology, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA

    David I. Mostofsky

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1997 Springer Science+Business Media New York

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Horrobin, D.F. (1997). Fatty Acids, Phospholipids, and Schizophrenia. In: Yehuda, S., Mostofsky, D.I. (eds) Handbook of Essential Fatty Acid Biology. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-2582-7_11

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-2582-7_11

  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, Totowa, NJ

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-61737-017-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4757-2582-7

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation