[Astroglia of the hippocampus in schizophrenia].

An electron microscopic morphometric study of volume fraction, areal numerical density and size of astrocytes in the pyramidal layer of CA3 hippocampal region has been carried out in 25 cases of schizophrenia and 25 normal controls. Both the volume fraction and areal density of astrocytes were increased significantly (20% and 28%) in schizophrenic cases. This local astrogliosis likely represents the compensatory mechanism in the context of glutamate hypothesis of schizophrenia.