Membrane function alterations in erythrocytes from mood disorder patients

Abstract

Objectives: To examine erythrocyte membrane functions in mood disorder patients and to establish possible diagnostic marker parameter(s).
Design: Collection of blood samples from mood disorder patients and age-matched control volunteers.Preparation of erythrocyte membranes for the proposed studies.
Setting: Out patients / in patients, psychiatry ward, Civil Hospital, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, M.S.University of Baroda, Vadodara, Gujarat, India.
Subjects: Unipolar and bipolar subjects. Control subjects (randomly selected volunteers).
Results: The most significant results were a duration dependent decrease in the TPL/CHL ratio (mole:mole),changes in both the substrate and temperature kinetics properties of AChE and elevated plasma BChE activity in the mood disorder patients.
Conclusion: The results suggest that the altered lipid profiles and the TPL/CHL (mole: mole) ratio and the altered temperature-dependent activity coefficients of erythrocyte membrane AChE and elevated plasma BChE activities could serve as useful diagnostic pointers for mood disorders.

Keywords:Membrane function; Erythrocytes; Mood disorder

SA Psych Rev 2003;6:11-20