Dopamine-glutamate abnormalities in the frontal cortex associated with the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) in schizophrenia

Brain Res. 2009 May 7:1269:166-75. doi: 10.1016/j.brainres.2009.02.039. Epub 2009 Mar 4.

Abstract

Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) plays an important role in brain catecholamine metabolism. Several studies point to the involvement of COMT in schizophrenia. We applied COMT immunohistochemistry to paraffin-embedded brain sections and assessed the cell density of COMT expressing glial cells and COMT expressing neurons in the gray matter of the frontal cortex of patients with schizophrenia compared with control subjects. We found a significantly increased cell density of COMT expressing glial cells (p=0.003), but an unchanged cell density of COMT expressing neurons (p=0.778) in the gray matter of the frontal cortex of patients with schizophrenia compared with control subjects. Our study demonstrates that schizophrenia might involve increased COMT expression in glial cells in the frontal cortex, which might be associated with a neuronal-glial abnormality and a disturbed dopamine-glutamate interaction.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Biological Specimen Banks
  • Catechol O-Methyltransferase / metabolism*
  • Cell Communication
  • Dopamine / metabolism*
  • Female
  • Frontal Lobe / enzymology*
  • Frontal Lobe / pathology
  • Glutamic Acid / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Neuroglia / enzymology
  • Neuroglia / pathology
  • Neurons / enzymology
  • Neurons / pathology
  • Paraffin Embedding
  • Schizophrenia / metabolism*
  • Schizophrenia / pathology
  • Time Factors

Substances

  • Glutamic Acid
  • Catechol O-Methyltransferase
  • Dopamine