Peripheral and central levels of kynurenic acid in bipolar disorder subjects and healthy controls.

ABSTRACT: Metabolites of the kynurenine pathway of tryptophan degradation, in particular, the N-Methyl-D-aspartic acid receptor antagonist kynurenic acid (KYNA), are increasingly recognized as primary pathophysiological promoters in several psychiatric diseases. Studies analyzing central KYNA levels from subjects with psychotic disorders have reported increased levels. However, sample sizes are limited and in contrast many larger studies examining this compound in blood from psychotic patients commonly report a decrease. A major question is to what extent peripheral KYNA levels reflect brain KYNA levels under physiological as well as pathophysiological conditions. Here we measured KYNA in plasma from a total of 277 subjects with detailed phenotypic data, including 163 BD subjects and 114 matched hea

SUBMITTER: Sellgren CM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6351610 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature