Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Oxidative stress, α-tocopherol, ascorbic acid and reduced glutathione status in schizophrenics

  • Published:
Indian Journal of Clinical Biochemistry Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A disturbance in the antioxidant defense system including α-tocopherol, ascorbic acid and reduced glutahtione metabolism due to free radical induced oxidative injury has been implicated in various neuro-psychiatric disorders. The roles of these antioxidants, changes in their blood levels and correlation with oxidative stress were studied in a common psychiatric illness Schizophrenia. Fifty-eight subjects of either sex ranging in age from 18–60 years divided into two age groups (≤40 and >40 years) diagnosed for schizophrenia, and forty age and sex-matched normal subjects as controls were included in the study. Blood samples were analyzed for malondialdehyde (MDA), α-tocopherol, total ascorbic acid (TAA), dehydro ascorbic acid (DHAA), reduced ascorbic acid (RAA), leucocyte ascorbic acid (LAA) and reduced glutathione (GSH). A decrease in the levels of α-tocopherol, total ascorbic acid and reduced glutathione was found in schizophrenics compared to normal controls. Further a significant rise in oxidative stress and decreased antioxidant status was observed in the chronic stage of schizophrenia as compared to those in acute condition. A significant rise in dehydroascorbic acid with concomitant fall in reduced ascorbic acid suggests scavenging action of ascorbic acid and its utilization with increased oxidative stress as indicated by high blood malondialdehyde levels. Leucocyte ascorbic acid, a better index of ascorbic acid status was also found to be reduced in schizophrenics, suggesting depletion of body stores of ascorbic acid and the condition worsened with advancing age.

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. Sies, H. (1991) Oxidative stress: From Basic Research to Clinical Application. Am. J. of Med. 91, 31S-38S. Review.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Lohr, J. B. (1991) Oxygen Radicals and Neuropsychiatric Illnesses. Arch. Gen. Psychiatry 48, 1097–1106.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Mahadik, S. P. and Scheffer, R. E. (1996) Oxidative Injury and Potential use of Antioxidants in Schizophrenia. Prostaglandins Leukot. Essent. Fatty Acids, 55, 45–54 Review.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Dusica, P. and Vesna, T. (2002) Oxidative stress as a marker of positive symptoms in Schizophrenia. Facta Universitatis. Medicine and Biology 9, 157–161.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Sudha, K., Rao, A. V. and Rao, A. (2001) Oxidative stress and antioxidants in epilepsy. Clin. Chem. Acta. 303, 19–24.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Marshall, W. J. and Bangert, S. K. (1995) Free radicals. In: Clinical Biochemistry; Metabolic and Clinical Aspects, 765–777, Churchill living stone, London, p 765–777.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Chen, L. H. (1989) Interaction of vitamin E and ascorbic acid (review). In Vivo 3, 199–209.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Bandopadhyay, D., Das, D. and Banerjee, R. K. (1999) Reactive oxygen species: Oxidative damage and pathogenesis. Current Science, 77, 658–666.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Morrison, A. P., French, P., Walford, L., Lewis, J. W., Kilcommons, A., Green, A. J., Parker, S. and Bentall, R. P. (1991). Cognitive therapy for the prevention of psychosis on people at ultra-high risk. Br. J. Psychiatry 185, 291–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Kaplan, H. I. and Sadock, B. J. (1989). Schizophrenia. In Comprehensive Textbook of Psychiatry-V. Vol. 1, Williams and Wilkins, USA, pp 699–815.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Natelson, S. (1971). Determination of ascorbic acid by 2, 4-dinitrophenyl hydrazine. In: Techniques of Clinical Chemistry, 3rd Edition, Charles C Thomas Springfield, USA, p 165–166.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Fabianek, J., De Filippi, Rickards, T. and Herp, A. (1968) Micromethod for tocopherol determination in blood serum. Clin. Chem. 14, 456–462.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Denson, K. W. and Bowers, E. F. (1961) The determination of ascorbic acid in white blood cells. Clin. Sci. 21, 157–162.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Beutler, E. (1971) Red cell metabolism. In: A Manual of Biochemical Methods, Grune and Stration, New York, p 103–105.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Stock, J. and Dormandy, T. L. (1971) The Autoxidation of Human Red Cell Lipids induced by hydrogen peroxide. Br. J. of Haematol. 20, 95–111.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Halliwell, B. (1994) Free radicals, antioxidants and human diseases: Curiosity, cause or consequence? Lancet, 344, 721–724.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Frei, B. (1994) Reactive oxygen species and antioxidant vitamins: mechanisms of action. Am. J. of Med. 97, 5S-13S; discussion 22S–28S. Review.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Benedicta, D. and Vivian, D. (2003) Oxidative injury and antioxidant vitamins E and C in Schizophrenia. Ind. J. of Clin. Biochem. 18, 87–90.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Ansari, K. U. (1996) Free Radical induced diseases. JIMA, 94 (1–12). 238–9.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Niki, E. (1987) Antioxidants in relation to lipid peroxidation. Chem. of Physiol. Lipids 44, 227–253.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Niki, E. (1987) Interaction of ascorbate and alphatocopherol. Ann. N. Y. acad. Sci. 498, 186–199.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Mann, G. V. and Newton, P. (1975) The membrane transport of ascorbic acid. Ann. N. Y. acad. Sci. 258, 243–252.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Loh, H. S. and Wilson, C. W. M. (1971) Relationship between leucocyte and plasma ascorbic acid concentrations BMJ. 3,733–735.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Kojo, S. (2004) Vitamin C: basic metabolism and its function as an index of oxidative stress. Curr. Med. Chem. 11(8), 1041–64.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biochemistry, S. M. S. Medical College and Hospital, 302004, Jaipur, (Rajasthan), India

    Gora Dadheech, Sandhya Mishra & Praveen Sharma

  2. Department of Psychiatry, S. M. S. Medical College and Hospital, 302004, Jaipur, (Rajasthan), India

    Shiv Gautam

Authors
  1. Gora Dadheech
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Sandhya Mishra
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Shiv Gautam
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Praveen Sharma
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Praveen Sharma.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Dadheech, G., Mishra, S., Gautam, S. et al. Oxidative stress, α-tocopherol, ascorbic acid and reduced glutathione status in schizophrenics. Indian J Clin Biochem 21, 34–38 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02912908

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02912908

Key Words

Search

Navigation