The study of possible association of homocysteine-induced oxidative stress and neuropsychiatric disorders

Context- The mechanisms of oxidative stress in neuropsychiatric disorders patients are not fully understood. Increased levels of Homocysteine (Hcy) are associated with risk of some neuropsychiatric disorders. Hcy may cause this risk by depleting the antioxidant system or generation of ROS. Objectives – The present study planned to investigate the association of elevated level of with Hcy oxidative stress, by measuring biochemical markers namely Malondialdehyde (MDA), an index of lipid peroxidation in plasma, the level of Vitamin E, Reduced Glutathione (GSH) and plasma Total Antioxidant Capacity (TAC) in schizophrenic and major depression patients. Results- Significantly increased plasma Hcy, MDA levels and significantly lower levels of plasma vitamin E, TAC and blood GSH in schizophrenia and depressed patients were observed. The obtained results indicates that the pro-oxidant disturbance occur in neuropsychiatric disorders. Conclusion- The data indicates a link between Hcy and neuropsychiatric disorders. Our results showed that in schizophrenic patients the amount of homocysteine in plasma was higher in comparison with the control group. We also observed a statistically increased level of biomarkers of oxidative stress such as MDA, vitamin E, GSH and TAC in patient groups. Considering the data presented in this study, we suggest that the elevated Hcy may acts as stimulant for the oxidative stress in neuropsychiatric patients. Finally our results support the further studies of the possible neuro-protective role of antioxidants as therapeutic strategies for neuropsychiatric disorders.