Metabolic profile alterations in the postmortem brains of patients with schizophrenia using capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry

Abstract

ObjectiveWe aimed to find the alterations in the profiles of low-molecular-weight metabolites in the brains of schizophrenia patients that may reflect the pathophysiology of the disorder. MethodHuman postmortem brain tissues from the frontal cortex (15 schizophrenia patients and 15 controls) and the hippocampus (14 schizophrenia patients and 15 controls) were obtained from the Stanley Foundation Neuropathology Consortium. We analyzed ~300 metabolites, using capillary electrophoresis with time-of-flight mass spectrometry. ResultsIn the frontal cortex, the mean levels of 29 metabolites were significantly different between the schizophrenia and control groups. In the hippocampus, only a dipeptide, glycylglycine was significantly (p≤0.001, nominal p-value) increased in schizophrenia. Glycylglycine was also significantly (p=0.007) increased in the frontal cortex of schizophrenia. The pathway analyses revealed that several metabolic pathways including KEGG “Central carbon metabolism in cancer” and “Protein digestion and absorption” were commonly affected in the frontal cortex and the hippocampus of schizophrenia patients. ConclusionThese findings point out alterations in glucose metabolism and proteolysis in the brains of schizophrenia.