Phospholipid, arachidonate and eicosanoid signaling in schizophrenia

Abstract

This paper reviews the potential role of arachidonic acid in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. We discuss how abnormal levels of arachidonic acid may arise, and how dysregulation of signaling molecules derived from it have the potential to disrupt not only dopamine signaling, but numerous other physiological processes associated with the illness. Pharmacological doses of niacin stimulate the release of arachidonic acid; and arachidonic acid-derived molecules in turn dilate blood vessels in the skin. A blunted skin flush response to niacin is reliably observed among patients with schizophrenia. The niacin response abnormality may thus serve as a biomarker to identify a physiological subtype of schizophrenia associated with defective arachidonic acid-derived signaling.

Keywords

• Phospholipids
• arachidonic acid
• eicosanoids
• niacin-induced flushing, endophenotype marker
• schizophrenia