Citation

Kalkman HO. Med. Hypotheses 2011; 76(6): 905-907.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.mehy.2011.03.005

PMID

21435795

Abstract

Suicide occurs during depression, schizophrenia, diabetes and epilepsy. A common denominator of these disorders is the presence of inflammation. Inflammatory cytokines affect function and expression of the glial enzyme glutamine synthetase and post mortem studies indicate that brain glutamine synthetase function is suppressed in mood disorders and epilepsy. In a study of schizophrenia brains, the expression of glutamine synthetase was reduced in those cases where the cause of death was suicide. The glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3) inhibitor, lithium, which has a proven efficacy against suicide, increased in an animal experiment the expression of glutamine synthetase. Based on these data one could reason that suicide may be prevented by centrally acting GSK3 inhibitors. However, since inhibition of glutamine synthetase may lead to a deficit in glutamine and as consequence a GABA and glutamate deficit, even simple food supplementation with glutamine might help to reduce suicide.

Language: en

Keywords

Humans; Suicide; Mood Disorders; Lithium Compounds; Glutamate-Ammonia Ligase