Reduced susceptibility to oxidative damage of erythrocyte membranes from medicated schizophrenic patients.

Susceptibility to non-enzymatic peroxidation of erythrocyte membranes from medicated schizophrenic patients relative to healthy control subjects was investigated by measuring internalization into erythrocytes of ethylene glycol, cellobiotol or mannitol, with or without preincubation with cumene hydroperoxide or with chlorpromazine. The main finding was that erythrocytes from schizophrenic patients were less susceptible than those from control subjects to non-enzymatic oxidative damage from cumene hydroperoxide, as measured by internalization of cellobiotol and mannitol. At baseline before incubation, there was reduced internalization of cellobiotol and mannitol and this was reduced even further by preincubation with chlorpromazine. It is suggested that previous findings of fatty acid deficits in erythrocyte membranes from neuroleptic-treated schizophrenic patients are unlikely to have resulted from non-enzymatic oxidative damage of the membrane. Furthermore, it is suggested that depleted erythrocyte membrane essential fatty acids are more likely to be the result of the schizophrenic process rather than antipsychotic drug treatment, and that antipsychotic drugs may even offer protection against membrane lipid peroxidation.