Smesny Stefan, Rosburg Timm, Baur Kati, Rudolph Nicole, Sauer Heinrich
Department of Psychiatry, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Philosophenweg 3, D-07743 Jena, Germany.
Neuropsychopharmacology. 2007 Oct;32(10):2067-73. doi: 10.1038/sj.npp.1301343. Epub 2007 Feb 21.
Increasing evidence suggests modulating effects of cannabinoids on time of onset, severity, and outcome of schizophrenia. Efforts to discover the underlying pathomechanism have led to the assumption of gene x environment interactions, including premorbid genetical vulnerability and worsening effects of continuing cannabis use. The objective of this cross-sectional study is to investigate the relationship between delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol intake and niacin sensitivity in schizophrenia patients and healthy controls. Intensity of niacin skin flushing, indicating disturbed prostaglandin-mediated processes, was used as peripheral marker of lipid-arachidonic acid pathways and investigated in cannabis-consuming and nonconsuming schizophrenia patients and in healthy controls. Methylnicotinate was applied in three concentrations onto the forearm skin. Flush response was assessed in 3-min intervals over 15 min using optical reflection spectroscopy. In controls, skin flushing was significantly decreased in cannabis-consuming as compared to nonconsuming individuals. When comparing the nonconsuming subgroups, patients showed significantly decreased flush response. The populations as a whole (patients and controls) showed an inverse association between skin flushing and sum scores of Symptom Check List 90-R. Results demonstrate an impact of long-term cannabis use on lipid-arachidonic acid pathways. Considering pre-existing vulnerability of lipid metabolism in schizophrenia, observed effects of cannabis use support the notion of a gene x environment interaction.
越来越多的证据表明，大麻素对精神分裂症的发病时间、严重程度和预后具有调节作用。为发现潜在病理机制所做的努力导致了基因与环境相互作用的假设，包括病前遗传易感性以及持续使用大麻的恶化影响。这项横断面研究的目的是调查精神分裂症患者和健康对照者中Δ-9-四氢大麻酚摄入量与烟酸敏感性之间的关系。烟酸皮肤潮红的强度表明前列腺素介导的过程受到干扰，被用作脂质-花生四烯酸途径的外周标志物，并在吸食大麻和不吸食大麻的精神分裂症患者以及健康对照者中进行了研究。将三种浓度的甲基烟酸酯涂抹在前臂皮肤上。使用光学反射光谱法在15分钟内每隔3分钟评估一次潮红反应。在对照者中，与不吸食大麻的个体相比，吸食大麻的个体皮肤潮红明显减少。在比较不吸食大麻的亚组时，患者的潮红反应明显降低。总体人群（患者和对照者）的皮肤潮红与症状自评量表90-R的总分呈负相关。结果表明长期使用大麻对脂质-花生四烯酸途径有影响。考虑到精神分裂症患者脂质代谢预先存在的易损性，观察到的大麻使用效应支持基因与环境相互作用的观点。
