Microscopy Studies of Mental Illness
More recently the Russians have been studying the microscopic pathology of schizophrenia (1) as well as the British (2). A brilliant Cuban psychiatrist, Dr. Segundo Mesa Castillo, has reported important results.
Mesa Castillo
Dr. Mesa Castillo has PowerPoint presentations (slide shows) at www.wpanet.org, which is the website of the World Psychiatric Association. He has studied the brain and the platelets in schizophrenia using an electron microscope. He has reported a biological test for schizophrenia using microscopic examination of the platelets, which are abnormal. There are "gaint" platelets with vacuoles and glycogen deposits. The glycogen deposits suggest a metabolic error involving slow glucose metabolism.
Mesa Castillo favors a virus theory. He favors the use of antiviral agents as treatments.
The Neurodevelopmental Theory
Ref. 3 favors this theory. However,thetheory is contradicted by a century of reports of gliosis. Gliosis is seen in toxic diseases. This suggests that schizophrenia is caused by a toxic factor that is unknown. Mesa's virus theory (4) is consistent with the gliosis, but perhaps not with the neurodevelopmental theory. He feels that a virus in the Mother during pregnancy can cause problems. More of Mesa's work is presented in Ref. 5.
Abnormal Platelets
Abnormal platelets have been reported in schizophrenia by both Cuban workers and Russian workers (6, 7, 8, 1). Russian workers have also reported abnormal red cells. Some of these cells were spherical instead of the normal biconcave diskettes. This Siberian work was done with the electron microscope. My interpretation is that the red cells are overeating some macronutrients due to a transport error. This would also explain the giant platelets with "elephant feet" reported by Mesa.
Russian Research
Ref. 9 is a publication of the Laboratory of Clinical Neuropathology, Mental Health Research Center, Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, Moscow, Russia. This group stated that the brain glucose metabolism was slow. They found the sucker feet of astrocytes to be abnormal. They suggested an error in the blood-brain barrier, which is policed by the astrocyte sucker feet.
These findings are consistent with my own theory of amino acids flooding the cells. The Russians reported "swelling of astrocytic end-feet". This could be explained if these end-feet were gorging themselves with amino acids from the capillaries. The Moscow group led by Uranova also reported "signs of activation of microglial cells".
Ref. 10 is another brilliant Russian study. The Russians have clearly and consistently demonstrated that schizophrenia is organic. Unfortunately this work, like the Cuban work, has been largely ignored in the US except by myself. It appears that only Dr. E. Fuller Torrey and myself have paid any attention to the Cuban work. The Cuban work is consistent with the Russian work (11).
The Siberian work showing abnormal red cells is documented in Ref. 12.
Mitochondria Theory
A group from Department of Psychiatry, Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua, Taiwan has reported mitochondrial dysfunction (13). This is consistent with my theory of amino acids flooding the cells. If amino acids are flooding the cells, amino acids could be burned for energy by the brain instead of glucose. This would produce less ATP than the burning of glucose causing a brain energy crisis.
Conclusions
But what are the treatments? Ref. 14 suggests orthomolecular treatments. These treatments involve diets and supplements. A diet could be used to reduce the flooding of the brain with excessive amino acids. Such a diet would be low in protein. An interesting possibility is that all amino acids may not be equally involved. One particular amino acid could be the main culprit. For example, if tryptophan is the main culprit, a diet very low in tryptophan would appear to be indicated. Such a diet would require niacin supplements because tryptophan is a precursor of niacin.
Ref. 15 provides more information on the blood in mental illness.
References
1. [Platelet peculiarities in chronic schizophrenic patients.] Zlobina GP, Brusov OS, Morozova MA, Beniashvili AG. Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova. 2009;109(10):47-50. Russian.
2. Harrison PJ : The neuropathology of schizophrenia. A critical review of the data and their interpretation. Brain 1999; 122 :593-624.
3. Gourion D, Gourevitch R, Leprovost JB, Olie H loo JP, Krebs MO. Neurodevelopmental hypothesis in schizophrenia. Encephale. 2004; 30: 109-18.
4. Mesa-Castillo S. An ultrastructural study of the temporal lobe and peripheral blood in schizophrenic patients. Rev Neurol 2001; 33: 619-23.
5. Mesa-Castillo S. The Human Brain & Schizophrenia [II]. Available at http://www.wpanet.org/education/wpaeln3.html, July 2006.
6. Gutiérrez M. Detectar la patología psicótica en su inicio varía la evolución. Diario Médico 27 Oct. 2004.
7. 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.
8. Mesa CS. Schizophrenia: cytopathological diagnosis valuation scale. Carib Med J 1998; 60: 29-32.
9. Ultrastructural damage of capillaries in the neocortex in schizophrenia. Uranova NA, Zimina IS, Vikhreva OV, Krukov NO, Rachmanova VI, Orlovskaya DD. World J Biol Psychiatry. 2010 Jan 29. [Epub ahead of print]
10. [Electron-microscopic study of typical lymphocytes and atypical cells of peripheral blood during the treatment of patients with schizophrenia] Bonartsev PD, Brusov OS, Morozova MA, Tsutsul'kovskaia MIa. Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova. 2009;109(8):54-8. Russian.
11. Agressologie. 1973 Aug;14(4):275-9. Xalabarder C.
12. Klin Lab Diagn. 2001 Apr;(4):43-6. [Surface relief of peripheral blood erythrocytes in patient with schizophrenia (scanning electron microscopy data)] Novitskiĭ VV, Riazantseva NV, Antonenko NM, Semin IR, Agarkov AP, Mikhalenko VV, Smirnova AV, Mel'nikova AP.
13. Mitochondrial dysfunction and psychiatric disorders. Jou SH, Chiu NY, Liu CS.Chang Gung Med J. 2009 Jul-Aug;32(4):370-9. Review.
14. Pauling L, Rath M. An orthomolecular theory of human health and disease. (J Orthomolecular Medicine, 1991).
15. http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2629253/the_role_of_blood_in_mental_illness.html?cat=68
16. http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2568821/organic_treatments_in_psychiatry.html?cat=68
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
- Cellular Degeneration in Neuropsychiatric DiseasesElectron microscopy studies and light microscopy studies have both shown cellular degeneration in neuropsychiatric diseases. This author has attempted to put the pieces of the puzzle together.
- Impaired Brain Glucose Metabolism Causes Mental IllnessNumerous studies have reported impaired brain glucose metabolism in various types of mental illness. This is caused by amino acids flooding the brain cells.
- Too Many Amino Acids Flood the Brain in SchizophreniaThere is massive evidence that schizophrenia is organic. There are metabolic errors involving amino acids. This points towards a diet as a treatment.
- The Evolution of Orthomolecular TheoryOrthomolecular theory is based on scientific research. The name was first invented by Pauling for psychiatry. He later expanded it to cancer and other diseases.
- Justifications for the Amino Acid Theory of SchizophreniaMy theory is that amino acids flood the brain in psychiatric disorders. This is why glucose metabolism is slow. The brain is burning the amino acids for fuel.
- A Comprehensive Theory for Schizophrenia and a Treatment Based on that Theory
- In Defense of the Medical Model in Psychiatry
- The Virus Theory for Schizophrenia: Science Fiction?
- Microscopy Studies in Mental Health Research
- New Ideas in Psychiatry
- Amine Theories of Schizophrenia
- Hispanic Research on Neuropsychiatry