MEMBRANE
FATTY ACID METABOLISM AND SCHIZOPHRENIA
W.S. Fenton*,
J.R. Hibbeln, M. Knable. Stanley Treatment Center Program,
Rockville, MD
Objective: Recent research
suggests that deficient uptake an/or excessive breakdown of
membrane phospholipids and depletion of omega-3 fatty acid may be
associated with schizophrenia. We review available clinical
research on abnormalities in membrane fatty acid composition and
metabolism in schizophrenia, and therapeutic trials of fatty acid
in this disorder.
Methods: All potentially
relevant English-language articles were identified from the
medical and psychiatric literature with the aid of computer
searches using key words such as lipid, phospholipids,
prostaglandins and schizophrenia. All studies identified
including human subjects are included for review.
Results: Empirical studies
related to membrane hypotheses of schizophrenia have focused on
five broad areas: (1) assessment of prostaglandins (PG) and their
essential fatty acid (EFA) precursors in the serum and red blood
cell membrane of patients with schizophrenia; 2) evaluation of
the niacin flush test as a possible diagnostic marker for
schizophrenia; 3) evaluation of phospholipase enzyme activity in
schizophrenia; NMR spectoscopy studies of brain phospholipid
metabolism in schizophrenia; 5) therapeutic trials of PG
precursors for the treatment of schizophrenia. Results in the
areas of RBC membrane abnormalities, NMR spectroscopy and omega-3
supplementation trials, while preliminary, have been most
consistent.
Conclusions: The role of
essential fatty acid metabolism in the diagnosis and treatment of
schizophrenia remains speculative, but its investigation has
proved fruitful for generating and testing novel etiologic
hypotheses and new therapeutic agents.