Kynurenic acid levels are elevated in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with schizophrenia

Kynurenic acid is an endogenous glutamate antagonist with a preferential action at the glycine-site of the N-methyl o-aspartate-receptor. Mounting evidence indicate that the compound is significantly involved in basal neurophysiological processes in the brain. In the present investigation, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) level of kynurenic acid was analyzed in 28 male schizophrenic patients and 17 male healthy controls by means of high pressure liquid chromatography and fluorescence detection. Schizophrenic patients showed elevated CSF levels of kynurenic acid (1.67 +/- 0.27 nM) compared to the control group (0.97 +/- 0.07 nM). Furthermore, CSF levels of kynurenic acid in schizophrenic patients were also found to correlate with age. The present finding is indicative of a contribution of kynurenic acid in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.