β-Phenylethylamine effect on brain and blood catechol-O-methyltransferase activity

Hannan, Charles J.

doi:10.1016/0091-3057(86)90469-7

Cited by 1 publication

(1 citation statement)

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“…Additionally, an earlier animal study has indicated that chronic neuroleptic treatment (ie haloperidol) does not affect brain COMT activity (Hannan, 1986). These data support the possibility that the disease-related laminar differences we have observed in the schizophrenic subjects reflect aspects of disease biology and are not epiphenomenona related to treatment.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 85%

Catechol O-Methyltransferase (COMT) mRNA Expression in the Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex of Patients with Schizophrenia

Matsumoto

Weickert

Beltaifa

et al. 2003

Neuropsychopharmacol

126

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Human prefrontal cortical neurons express catechol O-methyltransferase (COMT), an enzyme that inactivates the neurotransmitter dopamine. A functional polymorphism of COMT, Val 108/158 Met, affects prefrontal function, and the high-activity Val allele has been reported to be a genetic risk factor for schizophrenia. We used in situ hybridization histochemistry to measure mRNA levels of COMT in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) of patients with schizophrenia (N ¼ 14) and of normal controls (N ¼ 15). While the groups did not differ in terms of mean level of COMT mRNA, there was a significantly different laminar pattern of COMT mRNA expression in pyramidal neurons (F ¼ 2.68, df ¼ 4,108, Po0.04); patients with schizophrenia had relatively lower levels in the superficial (II/III) layers and higher levels in the intermediate/deep (IV/V) layers (Po0.01), while in controls, the expression was homogeneous across layers. Neither the mean level nor the laminar distribution of COMT mRNA was related to the Val 108/158 Met genotype, suggesting that the feedback regulation of mRNA level is not a compensation for the functional effect of the COMT polymorphism. The disease-related laminar difference of COMT expression may be involved in dysregulation of dopamine signaling circuits in the DLPFC of patients with schizophrenia.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 85%