In the context of the dopamine hypothesis of schizophrenia, the authors
examined postsynaptic dopamine (DA) receptor sensitivity in schizophrenic
patients by means of a neuroendocrine strategy using the DA receptor
agonist apomorphine and growth hormone (GH) release as the measurable
postsynaptic event. The activity of platelet adenylate cyclase, an enzyme
intimately associated with catecholamine receptor activity, was also
studied following stimulation by prostaglandin E1 (PGE1). Patients
diagnosed as having acute schizophrenia had significantly higher GH
responses and adenylate cyclase activity than normal control subjects and
patients diagnosed as having chronic schizophrenia. Chronic schizophrenic
patients with and without tardive dyskinesia showed GH responses slightly
lower than but not significantly different from those of control
groups.Abstract Teaser