Low concentration of nitrite and nitrate in the cerebrospinal fluid from schizophrenic patients: a pilot study

• Published in: Schizophrenia research Vol. 68; no. 2; pp. 357 - 361
• Main Authors: Ramirez, Jesus, Garnica, Rodrigo, Boll, Marie-Catherine, Montes, Sergio, Rios, Camilo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.06.2004; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Biological and medical sciences; Brain - metabolism; CSF; Female; Headache - cerebrospinal fluid; Headache - diagnosis; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Nervous System Diseases - cerebrospinal fluid; Nervous System Diseases - diagnosis; Nitrate; Nitrates - cerebrospinal fluid; Nitric Oxide - metabolism; Nitrite; Nitrites - cerebrospinal fluid; Pilot Projects; Proprioception - physiology; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Psychoses; Schizophrenia; Schizophrenia - cerebrospinal fluid; Schizophrenia - diagnosis; Schizophrenia - metabolism; Spinal Puncture; Schizophrenia; NO; Nitrate; Nitrite; CSF; Human; Acute; Nitrites; Central nervous system; Nitrates; Cerebrospinal fluid; Metabolism; Encephalon; Psychosis; First episode; Nitric oxide
• ISSN: 0920-9964; 1573-2509
• DOI: 10.1016/S0920-9964(03)00070-7

Some evidence suggests a dysfunctional nitric oxide (NO) system in the brain of schizophrenic subjects. We measured the concentrations of the stable metabolites of NO, nitrite, and nitrate in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from schizophrenic and control patients with other neurological disorders and found lowered levels in the schizophrenic group as compared with the control group. This finding supports the hypothesis of a NO system reduction in the brain of schizophrenic subjects.