Excessive Catabolism of Tryptophan in Mental Diseases
There have been many claims of abnormalities in tryptophan metabolism in the various mental diseases (1, 4, 5, 6, 7). Ref. 1 claims excessive catabolism of tryptophan in schizophrenia. Tyrosine metabolism is also abnormal.
Psychiatric Drugs
Unfortunately there have been disastrous problems with psychiatric drugs (2, 9) including a current class action lawsuit about tardive dyskinesia. Both Ref. 1 and Ref. 2 are available free full text on the Internet.
Neuropsychiatric Disorders
"There was increase in free fatty acids and decrease in albumin (factors modulating tryptophan transport) in the plasma of these patients."
Ravikumar A, Deepadevi KV, Arun P, Manojkumar V, Kurup PA
Department of Neurology, Medical College, Trivandrum, and Metabolic Disorders Research Centre, Puliyarakonam, Trivandrum, India.
The quote is from Ref. 1, which was obtained free full text at the journal website (3). Ref. 2 is available free full text at Pubmed Central.
Tryptophan metabolism has been reported to be abnormal in Huntington's disease, which has psychiatric symptoms (4).
The subjects were not under medication at the time of the India study.The study throw cold water on the serotonin theory because the serotonin was higher in the plasma of the patients. According to the serotonin theory, serotonin is supposed to be low.
Tryptophan
Tryptophan is found in the diet. The many reports of abnormal tryptophan metabolism (8 10, 11) in schizophrenia and other mental disorders (including depression) strongly support orthomolecular psychiatry. Serine was reported abnormal in depression (12).
"In a subgroup of 14 patients in whom both off- and on-medication concentrations of cerebrospinal fluid biogenic amines and metabolites were measured, change in 3-hydroxykynurenine predicted clinical outcome in a multiple regression model. These findings point toward the need to examine the role of the kynurenine pathway of tryptophan metabolism in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia."
Issa F, Kirch DG, Gerhardt GA, Bartko JJ, Suddath RL, Freedman R, Wyatt RJ.
Neuropsychiatry Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Washington, DC 20032.
Wyatt is now deceased, unfrotunately. This quote is from Ref. 13.
"After covariation for storage time, results of a stepwise discriminant function analysis comparing the control and patient groups identified tryptophan, tryptophol, and epinephrine as discriminating variables."
Issa F, Gerhardt GA, Bartko JJ, Suddath RL, Lynch M, Gamache PH, Freedman R, Wyatt RJ, Kirch DG.
Neuropsychiatry Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Washington, DC 20032.
The above quote is from Ref. 14.
Treatments
Since tryptophan is a nutrient, the treatment should be orthomolecular. A diet very low in tryptophan is suggested. Refs. 16-20 explain orthomolecular psychiatry and reveal details of this low protein diet, which is cheaper than the average diet.
Conclusions
If this theory is correct, and it probably is, the government could save massive amounts of money because the treatment is cheaper, safer, and more logical than drugs. Not only the government could save money, and at the same time improve the quality of the treatment, but the patient would also save a lot of money. However, there is always enormous resistance to new ideas.
References
1. Tryptophan and tyrosine catabolic pattern in neuropsychiatric disorders.
Ravikumar A, Deepadevi KV, Arun P, Manojkumar V, Kurup PA.
Neurol India. 2000 Sep;48(3):231-8.
2. Neuroleptic malignant syndrome.
Srinivasan AV, Murugappan M, Krishnamurthy SG, Sayeed ZA.
J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1990 Jun;53(6):514-6.
3. http://www.neurologyindia.com/text.asp?2000/48/3/231/1530
4. Andrew Freese BA, Kenton J Swartz et al : Kynurenine metabolites of tryptophan implications for neurological diseases. Neurology 1990; 40 : 691-695.
5. Kynurenine pathway in psychosis: evidence of increased tryptophan degradation.
Barry S, Clarke G, Scully P, Dinan TG.
J Psychopharmacol. 2009 May;23(3):287-94. Epub 2008 Jun 18.
6. Alterations in kynurenine precursor and product levels in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
Miller CL, Llenos IC, Cwik M, Walkup J, Weis S.
Neurochem Int. 2008 May;52(6):1297-303. Epub 2008 Feb 2.
7. Upregulation of the initiating step of the kynurenine pathway in postmortem anterior cingulate cortex from individuals with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
Miller CL, Llenos IC, Dulay JR, Weis S.
Brain Res. 2006 Feb 16;1073-1074:25-37. Epub 2006 Jan 30.
8. Expression of the kynurenine pathway enzyme tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase is increased in the frontal cortex of individuals with schizophrenia.
Miller CL, Llenos IC, Dulay JR, Barillo MM, Yolken RH, Weis S.
Neurobiol Dis. 2004 Apr;15(3):618-29.
9. Miscellaneous treatments for neuroleptic-induced tardive dyskinesia.
Soares-Weiser KV, Joy C.
Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2003;(2):CD000208. Review.
10. Plasma concentrations of amino acids in chronic schizophrenics treated with clozapine.
Tortorella A, Monteleone P, Fabrazzo M, Viggiano A, De Luca L, Maj M.
Neuropsychobiology. 2001;44(4):167-71.
11. Increased cortical kynurenate content in schizophrenia.
Schwarcz R, Rassoulpour A, Wu HQ, Medoff D, Tamminga CA, Roberts RC.
Biol Psychiatry. 2001 Oct 1;50(7):521-30.
12. Increased plasma serine concentrations in depression.
Maes M, De Backer G, Suy E, Minner B.
Neuropsychobiology. 1995;31(1):10-5.
13. A multidimensional approach to analysis of cerebrospinal fluid biogenic amines in schizophrenia: II. Correlations with psychopathology.
Issa F, Kirch DG, Gerhardt GA, Bartko JJ, Suddath RL, Freedman R, Wyatt RJ.
Psychiatry Res. 1994 Jun;52(3):251-8.
14. A multidimensional approach to analysis of cerebrospinal fluid biogenic amines in schizophrenia: I. Comparisons with healthy control subjects and neuroleptic-treated/unmedicated pairs analyses.
Issa F, Gerhardt GA, Bartko JJ, Suddath RL, Lynch M, Gamache PH, Freedman R, Wyatt RJ, Kirch DG.
Psychiatry Res. 1994 Jun;52(3):237-49.
15. Tryptophanemia and tyrosinemia in adolescents with impulsive behavior.
Candito M, Askenazy F, Myquel M, Chambon P, Darcourt G.
Int Clin Psychopharmacol. 1993 Summer;8(2):129-32.
16. www.associatedcontent.com/article/1990392/advances_in_brain_research_psychiatry.html
17. http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/237845/the_link_between_food_allergies_and.html
18. www.associatedcontent.com/article/1932938/disease_biomarkers_in_psychiatry.html
19. www.associatedcontent.com/article/1926322/advocacy_for_mental_health_clients.html
20. www.associatedcontent.com/article/1922710/new_approaches_to_mental_health.html
Published by Craig Olson
I have worked at many different jobs including as a scientist, a mental health worker, a physical health worker, etc. I am an advocate for better health care and an advocate for the disabled. View profile
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