Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Serum amino acid profiles and dopamine in schizophrenic patients and healthy subjects: Window to the brain?

  • Published:
Amino Acids Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

Altered dopamine turnover has been postulated as underlying cause for schizophrenia. This is partially inferred from pharmacological studies and from changes in serum dopamine and dopamine metabolite levels. It is not clear whether the serum amino acid precursors' availability and neurotransmitter-mediated hormonal release could be indicative of the neurotransmitter turnover. We speculate in this context that the profile of serum amino acids and neurotransmitters reflects differences of neurotransmitter activity in the central nervous system and may be considered in a broad sense “window to the brain”.

We analyzed basal serum amino acids (including monoamine precursors), and monoamines in schizophrenic patients after a drug holiday of 3 or more days, and in healthy subjects.

Asparagine, phenylalanine, and cystine were higher and tyrosine, tryptophan, and the ratio of tryptophan to competing amino acids lower in schizophrenic patients than in healthy subjects (P < 0.05). Dopamine was increased in schizophrenic patients compared to healthy subjects.

We speculate that these results sustain the notion for dopamine overactivity in schizophrenia, which might be caused by altered amino acid precursor availability.

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

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Asberg M, Nordström P (1988) In: Möller HJ, Schmidtke A, Welz R (eds) Current issues of suicidology. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York Tokyo, pp 223–241

    Google Scholar 

  2. Bacopoulos NG, Hattox SE, Roth RH (1979) Eur J Pharmacol 56: 225–236

    Google Scholar 

  3. Barbeito L, Lista A, Silbeira R, Dajas F. (1984) Biol Psychiatry 19: 1419–1425

    Google Scholar 

  4. Bjerkenstedt L, Edman G, Hagenfeldt L, Sedvall G, Wiesel FA (1985) Br J Psychiatry 147: 276–282

    Google Scholar 

  5. Bleich A, Brown SL, Kahn R, van Praag HM (1988) Schizophr Bull 14: 297–315

    Google Scholar 

  6. Bowers MB, Swigar ME (1987) Arch Gen Psych 44: 190

    Google Scholar 

  7. Brown ML, Jenner DA (1981) Clin Sci 61: 591–598

    Google Scholar 

  8. Bruinvels J, Pepplinkhuizen L, van Tuijl HR, Moleman P, Blom W (1980) In: Usdin E, Sourkes TL, Youdim MBH (eds) Enzymes and neurotransmitters in mental disease. John Wiley, New York, pp 139–153

    Google Scholar 

  9. Creese IE, Snyder SH (1977) Nature 270: 180–182

    Google Scholar 

  10. Dajas F, Barbeito L, Martinez-Pesquera G, Lista A, Puppo D, Puppo-Touriz H (1983) Neuropsychobiology 10: 70–74

    Google Scholar 

  11. Davidson M, Davis KL (1988) Arch Gen Psych 45: 561–563

    Google Scholar 

  12. DeLisi LE, Neckers LM, Weinberger DR, Wyatt RJ (1981) Arch Gen Psych 38: 647–650

    Google Scholar 

  13. Farde L, Wiesel FA, Hall H, Halldin C, Stone-Elander S, Sedvall G (1987) Arch Gen Psych 44: 671–672

    Google Scholar 

  14. Gershon ES, Shader RI (1969) Arch Gen Psych 21: 82–88

    Google Scholar 

  15. Hornykiewicz O (1982) Nature 299: 484–486

    Google Scholar 

  16. Huether G (1988) NATO ASI Series H: Cell biology, vol 20. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York Tokyo

    Google Scholar 

  17. Jeste DV, Doongaji DR, Linnoila M (1984) Br J Psych 144: 177–180

    Google Scholar 

  18. Kemali D, DelVecchio M, Maj M (1982) Biol Psych 17: 711–717

    Google Scholar 

  19. Macciardi F, Lucca A, Catalano M, Marin C, Zanardi R, Smeraldi E (1990) Psych Res 32: 63–70

    Google Scholar 

  20. Maher TJ (1988) In: Huether G (ed) Amino acid availability and brain function in health and disease. NATO ASI Series H: Cell biology, vol 20. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York Tokyo, pp 201–206

    Google Scholar 

  21. Meltzer HY (1987) Schiz Bull 13: 77–111

    Google Scholar 

  22. Moore S, Stein WH (1951) J Biol Chem 192: 663–681

    Google Scholar 

  23. Perry TL, Hansen S (1985) Psych Res 15: 109–113

    Google Scholar 

  24. Peuler JD, Johnson GA (1977) Life Sciences 21: 625–636

    Google Scholar 

  25. Rao ML, Mager T (1987) Psychoneuroendocrinology 12: 141–147

    Google Scholar 

  26. Rao ML, Gross G, Huber G (1984) Eur Arch Psych Neurol Scie 234: 8–12

    Google Scholar 

  27. Rao ML (1986) Psyschopharmacology 90: 548–553

    Google Scholar 

  28. Rao ML, Fels K (1987) In: Stille G, Wagner W, Herrman WM (Hrsg) Fortschritte in der Pharmakotherapie. Karger, Basel, 87–99

    Google Scholar 

  29. Rao ML, Bräunig P (1989) In: Gershon S, Lerer B (eds) New directions in affective disorder. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York Tokyo, pp 320–325

    Google Scholar 

  30. Reynolds GR (1989) Br J Psych 155: 305–316

    Google Scholar 

  31. Richardson MA (1988) Amino acids in psychiatric disease. American Psychiatric Press. Washington DC, London

    Google Scholar 

  32. Richardson MA, Haughland G, Pass R, Craig TJ (1986) Psychopharmacol Bull 22: 243–249

    Google Scholar 

  33. Richardson MA, Suckow R, Whittaker R, Boggiano W, Sziraki I, Kushner H (1989) Psychopharmacol Bull 25: 47–51

    Google Scholar 

  34. Roth RH, See-Ying T, Bradberry CW, Karasin DH, Deutch AY (1988) In: Huether G (ed) Amino acid availability and brain function in health and disease. NATO ASI Series H: Cell biology, vol 20. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York Tokyo, pp 191–200

    Google Scholar 

  35. Schneider K (1990) Klinische Psychopathologie. 12th edn. Thieme, Stuttgart

    Google Scholar 

  36. van Kammen DP, Antelman S (1984) Life Sciences 34: 1403–1413

    Google Scholar 

  37. van Kammen DP, Gelernter J (1987) In: Meltzer HY (ed) Psychopharmacology: The third generation of progress. Raven Press, New York, pp 745–751

    Google Scholar 

  38. Wong DR, Wagner HN, Tune LE, Dannals RF, Pearlson GD, Links JM, Tamminga CA, Broussolle EP, Raver HT, Wilson AA, Toung JKT, Malat J, Williams JA, O'Tuama, Snyder SH, Kuhar MJ, Gjedde A (1986) Science 234: 1558–1563

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, University of Bonn, Germany

    M. L. Rao, B. Strebel, G. Gross & G. Huber

  2. Universitäts-Nervenklinik, Psychiatrie, Sigmund-Freud-Strasse 25, D-W-5300, Bonn 1, Germany

    M. L. Rao

Authors
  1. M. L. Rao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. B. Strebel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. G. Gross
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. G. Huber
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Rao, M.L., Strebel, B., Gross, G. et al. Serum amino acid profiles and dopamine in schizophrenic patients and healthy subjects: Window to the brain?. Amino Acids 2, 111–118 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00806081

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00806081

Keywords

Search

Navigation