This paper is only available as a PDF. To read, Please Download here.
Abstract
Impaired antioxidant mechanisms are unable to inactivate free radicals that may induce
a number of pathophysiological processes and result in cell injury. Thus, any abnormality
in antioxidant defence systems could affect neurodevelopmental processes and could
have an important role in the etiology of autistic disorder. The plasma levels of
glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and superoxide dismutase (SOD), and erythrocyte levels
of GSH-Px were investigated in 45 autistic children and compared with 41 normal controls.
Levels of erythrocyte SOD, erythrocyte and plasma GSH-Px were assayed spectrophotometrically.
Activities of erythrocyte SOD, erythrocyte and plasma GSH-Px in autistic children
were significantly lower than normals. These results indicate that autistic children
have low levels of activity of blood antioxidant enzyme systems; if similar abnormalities
are present in brain, free radical accumulation could damage brain tissue.
To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
Purchase one-time access:
Academic & Personal: 24 hour online accessCorporate R&D Professionals: 24 hour online accessOne-time access price info
- For academic or personal research use, select 'Academic and Personal'
- For corporate R&D use, select 'Corporate R&D Professionals'
Subscribe:
Subscribe to Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty AcidsAlready a print subscriber? Claim online access
Already an online subscriber? Sign in
Register: Create an account
Institutional Access: Sign in to ScienceDirect
References
REFERENCES
- An introduction to free radical chemistry.Br Med Bull. 1993; 49: 481-493
- Host biochemical defense mechanisms against prooxidants.Annu Rev Pharmacol Toxicol. 1988; 28: 189-212
- Free radical pathology and antioxidant defense in schizophrenia: a review.Schizophrenia Res. 1996; 19: 1-7
- Free radical pathology in schizophrenia; a review.Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids. 1996; 55: 33-43
- Lipid fluidity markedly modulates the bindings of serotonin to mouse brain membrane.Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 1980; 77: 7463-7467
- Phospholipid methylation and biological signal transmission.Science. 1980; 209: 1082-1090
- Evidence of oxidative stress and in vivo neurotoxicity of β-amyloid in a transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer 's disease: a chronic oxidative paradigm for testing antioxidant therapies in vivo.Am J Pathol. 1998; 152: 871-877
- Antioxidant enzymes and fatty acid status in erythrocytes of Down's syndrome patients.Clin Chem. 1998; 44: 924-929
- Elevated reactive oxygen species and antioxidant enzyme activities in animal and cellular models of Parkinson's disease.Biochim Biophys Acta. 1997; 1362: 77-86
- Free radicals in brain metabolism and pathology.Br Med Bull. 1993; 49: 577-587
- The contribution of neuropathologic studies to the understanding of autism.Neurol Clin. 1993; 11: 175-187
- A case–control family history study of autism.J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 1994; 35: 877-900
- The neurobiology of autism.Annu Rev Neurosci. 1995; 18: 101-128
- Autism and genetics.Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1988; 45: 953-961
- A twin study of autism in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 1989; 30: 405-416
- Pervasive developmental disorder.in: Kaplan HI Sadock BJ Synopsis of Psychiatry. Williams and Wilkins, Baltimore1998: 1179-1192
- Red blood cell fatty acid compositions in a patient with autistic disorder: a characteristic abnormality in neurodevelopmental disorders?.Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids. 2000; 63: 21-25
- Rapid regulation of neurite outgrowth and retraction by phospholipase A2-derived arachidonic acid and its metabolites.Brain Res. 1996; 721: 39-48
- Urinary free and conjugated catecholamines and metabolites in autistic children.J Autism Dev Disord. 1988; 18: 583-591
- F monoamines in autistic syndromes and other pervasive developmental disorders of early childhood.Br J Psychiatry. 1987; 151: 89-94
- Increased norepinephrine levels and decreased dopamine-beta hydroxylase activity in primary autism.Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1977; 34: 553-556
- Whole blood serotonin and plasma beta-endorphin in autistic probands and their first degree relatives.Biol Psychiatry. 1999; 45: 158-163
- Brain opioids and autism: an update analysis of possible linkages.J Autism Dev Disord. 1987; 17: 201-216
- Paroxysmal disorders.in: Menkes JH Textbook of Child Neurology. Lea & Febiger, Malvern1990: 602-674
- Polyunsaturated fatty acids modulate sodium and calcium currents in CA1 neurons.Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 1996; 93: 12559-12563
Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
June 27,
2002
Received:
September 7,
2001
Identification
Copyright
© 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
