TY - JOUR
T1 - Elevated endogenous cannabinoids in schizophrenia
AU - Leweke, F. M.
AU - Giuffrida, A.
AU - Wurster, U.
AU - Emrich, H. M.
AU - Piomelli, D.
N1 - Copyright:
Copyright 2017 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 1999/6/3
Y1 - 1999/6/3
N2 - Evidence suggests that cannabinoid receptors, the pharmacological target of cannabis-derived drugs, and their accompanying system of endogenous activators may be dysfunctional in schizophrenia. To test this hypothesis, we examined whether endogenous cannabinoid concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid of schizophrenic patients are altered compared to non-schizophrenic controls. Endogenous cannabinoids were purified from cerebrospinal fluid of 10 patients with schizophrenia and 11 non-schizophrenic controls by high-performance liquid chromatography, and quantified by isotope dilution gas- chromatography/mass-spectrometry. Cerebrospinal concentrations of two endogenous cannabinoids (anandamide and palmitylethanolamide) were significantly higher in schizophrenic patients than non-schizophrenic controls (p < 0.05). By contrast, levels of 2-arachidonylglycerol, another endogenous cannabinoid lipid, were below detection in both groups. The findings did not seem attributable to gender, age or medication. Elevated anandamide and palmitylethanolamide levels in cerebrospinal fluid of schizophrenic patients may reflect an imbalance in endogenous cannabinoid signaling, which may contribute to the pathogenesis of schizophrenia.
AB - Evidence suggests that cannabinoid receptors, the pharmacological target of cannabis-derived drugs, and their accompanying system of endogenous activators may be dysfunctional in schizophrenia. To test this hypothesis, we examined whether endogenous cannabinoid concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid of schizophrenic patients are altered compared to non-schizophrenic controls. Endogenous cannabinoids were purified from cerebrospinal fluid of 10 patients with schizophrenia and 11 non-schizophrenic controls by high-performance liquid chromatography, and quantified by isotope dilution gas- chromatography/mass-spectrometry. Cerebrospinal concentrations of two endogenous cannabinoids (anandamide and palmitylethanolamide) were significantly higher in schizophrenic patients than non-schizophrenic controls (p < 0.05). By contrast, levels of 2-arachidonylglycerol, another endogenous cannabinoid lipid, were below detection in both groups. The findings did not seem attributable to gender, age or medication. Elevated anandamide and palmitylethanolamide levels in cerebrospinal fluid of schizophrenic patients may reflect an imbalance in endogenous cannabinoid signaling, which may contribute to the pathogenesis of schizophrenia.
KW - 2-arachidonylglycerol
KW - Anandamide
KW - Cannabinoid receptors
KW - Cerebrospinal fluid
KW - Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry
KW - Palmitylethanolamide
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U2 - 10.1097/00001756-199906030-00008
DO - 10.1097/00001756-199906030-00008
M3 - Article
C2 - 10501554
AN - SCOPUS:0033519542
VL - 10
SP - 1665
EP - 1669
JO - NeuroReport
JF - NeuroReport
SN - 0959-4965
IS - 8
ER -