Cuban Research on Schizophrenia

For reasons not known to me, Cuban research on schizophrenia has been largely ignored in the US (except by myself). Only Dr. E. Fuller Torrey has shown any interest in it, but even Torrey hasn't paid much attention to it. Dr. Mesa Castillo of Havana has done brilliant work, although I don't agree with his conclusions. He has gathered valuable data, but I feel that he has misinterpreted his data.

Mesa's Findings

In the postmortem brains of schizophrenics Mesa reported membrane proliferation, nuclear bodies, particles, and many other positive findings. He feels that the particles represent a virus. This is consistent with Torrey's theory, and that is why Torrey was interested. However, none of the current psychiatric drugs were designed based on this theory. Most are supposed to act on dopamine or serotonin.

The amygdala of paranoid schizophrenics was studied. My view is that if there was a virus, it was coincidental. It did not cause the schizophrenia. If Mesa's theory is correct, then the current psychiatric drugs would be worthless. Anti-viral drugs should be used. However, anti-viral drugs are dangerous. If they can kill a virus, often they are toxic to the cell.

Intranuclear filamentous inclusion bodies were seen. However, viruses tend not to be filamentous. They tend to be almost spherical. Linus Pauling thought that schizophrenia was genetic.

However, much of Mesa's work makes sense. The location of the pathology in the limbic system is consistent with the work of the late Robert G. Heath of Tulane University in New Orleans. Heath found that a toxic factor in the blood of schizophrenics caused abnormal depth EEGs in the septal area of the brain, which is in the limbic system. Also Averback (1981) found neuropathology in the septal area of the brain.

Blood Biological Test

Mesa also reported a "blood biological test" for schizophrenia. This test involves a microscopic examination of the blood platelets, also called "thrombocytes".

Dr. Segundo Mesa-Castillo works at the Psychiatric Hospital of Havana. He has published articles in both English and Spanish.

The study was done on patients "without treatment". Therefore it is unlikely that the were drug artifacts. He found "platelet morphological alterations" in schizophrenics. He felt that his test was of "diagnostic value".

"Giant" platelets were seen in schizophrenics. These were up to three times the size of normal platelets. Abnormal filopodias were seen which he called "elephant feet". I thought that they were called pseudopodia ("false feet"), but he called them "filopodias". Perhaps this change appeared in the translation to English. However, he appeared to have translated his articles himself.

Vacuolation was seen with big vacuoles. Diminished electron density was seen, which could mean that the vacuoles were fat. Glycogen accumulation was seen. This suggests an impairment of glucose metabolism.

Mesa also found particles which he thought represented a virus. I disagree with this theory. My theory is that the particles may be a toxin.

Mesa's test may be very useful. However, he does not appear to have tried it on depression or bipolar disorder or other types of mental illness. It would be interesting to find out if the test is positive for all mental diseases or only for schizophrenia. My prediction is that it will be positive for all mental diseases.

But What Is the Treatment?

Unfortunately there have been disastrous problems with atypical "antipsychotics" (5, 6, 7). If schizophrenia is caused by metabolic errors, then it would appear that metabolic treatment should be used (8, 9, 10). The Associated Content references are available free full text at that website. A diet low in tryptophan is recommended.

Conclusions

The results of Mesa suggest an impaired metabolism of glucose. This is why he found glycogen deposits. The fact that the platelets were enlarged suggests that some macronutrients are entering the cell at a rapid rate. Vacuoles in animal cells are usually full of food, often fat. In plant cells they may be filled with water. In other words, the cells are overeating.

He thought that the particles were a virus. Although a virus is consistent with neuropathology, other workers have failed to find any virus. If schizophrenia was caused by a virus, then schizophrenia might be contagious. However, it isn't contagious.

References

1. Mesa CS, Niubó CE, González NL. Características histopatológicas de una reacción de aglutinación observada en pacientes psicóticos. IV Congreso Ibero-Americano de Anatomía Patológica. IV-CVHAP 2001 Comunicación-E-001; 2001.

2. Mesa CS. Schizophrenia: cytopathological diagnosis valuation scale. Carib Med J 1998; 60: 29-32.

3. A transcultural study between schizophrenic and control population of Cuba and Spain. WPA Educational Section available at http://www.wpanet.org/education/docs/atranscultural.doc, Mayo, 2005.

4. Mesa CS. Estudio ultraestructural del lóbulo temporal y de la sangre periférica en pacientes esquizofrénicos. Rev Neurol 2001; 33: 619-23.

5. Fontaine KR, Heo M, Harrigan EP, et al: Estimating the consequences of antipsychotic induced weight gain on health and mortality rate. Psychiatry Res 101:277-288, 2001.

6. Meyer JM: A retrospective comparison of lipid, glucose and weight changes at one year between olanzapine and risperidone treated inpatients. J Clin Psychiatry 63:425-433, 2002.

7. Allison DB, Mentore JL, Heo M, et al: Antipsychotic-induced weight gain: a comprehensive research synthesis. Am J Psychiatry 156:1686-1696, 1999.

8. www.associatedcontent.com/article/1649109/mitochondrial_dysfunction_in_mental.html

9. www.associatedcontent.com/article/1641378/diet_and_schizophrenia.html

10. www.associatedcontent.com/article/1638950/biomarkers_for_schizophrenia.html