Lipid Peroxidation in Psychiatric Illness: Overview of Clinical Evidence

Abstract

The brain is known to be sensitive to oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation. While lipid peroxidation has been shown to contribute to many disease processes, its role in psychiatric illness has not been investigated until recently. In this paper, we provide an overview of lipid peroxidation in the central nervous system as well as clinical data supporting a link between lipid peroxidation and disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depressive disorder. These data support further investigation of lipid peroxidation in the effort to uncover therapeutic targets and biomarkers of psychiatric disease.

Dentate gyrus−cornu ammonis (CA) 4 volume is decreased and associated with depressive episodes and lipid peroxidation in bipolar II disorder: Longitudinal and cross‐sectional analyses

“…Elevated peripheral levels of oxidative stress indices, including lipid peroxidation markers, have been found across different psychiatric and medical disorders . Although further research is needed to examine whether BD‐II is associated with distinct patterns of oxidative stress abnormalities, e.g., increased 4‐HNE and normal LPH, the potentially low specificity of elevated late‐stage lipid peroxidation markers could imply that these indices are unlikely to complement current diagnostic algorithms of bipolar disorders.…”

Emerging Risk Biomarkers in Cardiovascular Diseases and Disorders

“…It is directly related to psychiatric illness mainly schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depressive disorder. Therefore, lipid peroxidation uncovers therapeutic targets and acts as biomarkers of psychiatric disease [ 273 ]. Central nervous system is the most metabolically active organ of the body characterized by high requirement for oxygen and relatively low antioxidative activity.…”

Oxidative-Antioxidant Imbalance and Impaired Glucose Metabolism in Schizophrenia

“…Reduced levels of pyruvate dehydrogenase results in increased lactate and cellular acidosis and is closely associated with reduced levels of ATP production in the brain [95], which then leads to reduced glucose metabolism. Lipid peroxidation observed in schizophrenic patients causes changes in neuronal membranes, which consequently interferes with their function and affects signal transduction through changes in neurotransmitters and neuronal receptors located in postsynaptic membranes [96,97]. Oxidative damage also affects mitochondrial DNA [98], hence it can also contribute to impaired energy production, which is associated with free oxygen radicals, including superoxide anion radical O 2…”