Gene glitches link pot with schizophrenia

UPI Science News ^ | July 1, 2002 | Charles Choi

[gcruse]

Gene glitches link pot with schizophrenia

UPI Science News

From the

Science & Technology

Desk

Published 7/1/2002 5:06 PM

OKAYAMA, Japan, July 1 (UPI) -- Genetic anomalies tied with marijuana-activated brain chemicals appear linked to schizophrenia, Japanese researchers report.

"This result provides genetic evidence that marijuana use can result in schizophrenia or a significantly increased risk of schizophrenia," lead researcher Hiroshi Ujike, a clinical psychiatrist at Okayama University, told United Press International.

Schizophrenia is one of the greatest mental health challenges in the world, affecting roughly one of every 100 people and filling about a quarter of all hospital beds in the United States. For years, clinical scientists have known that abusing marijuana, also known as cannabis, can trigger hallucinations and delusions similar to symptoms often found in schizophrenia. Prior studies also show that cannabis used before age 18 raises the risk of schizophrenia six-fold.

The hallucinogenic properties of marijuana, the researchers explained, are linked to a biochemical found abundantly in the brain. The chemical, called cannabinoid receptor protein, studs the surfaces of brain cells and latches onto the active chemical within marijuana known as THC.

"These sites are where marijuana acts on the brain," Ujike said.

Ujike and his team examined the gene for the marijuana receptor in 121 Japanese patients with schizophrenia and an average age of 44. When they compared this gene in schizophrenics with the same gene in 148 normal men and woman of the same average age, they found distinct abnormalities in DNA sequences called nucleotides among the schizophrenics. Some of their nucleotides in the marijuana receptor gene appeared significantly more often than normal while others appeared less frequency.

"This finding is the first to report a potential abnormality of the cannabinoid system in schizophrenia," said clinical neuroscientist Carol Tamminga at the University of Maryland in College Park. "The importance of a finding here cannot be overstated, in that it would form a tissue target for drug development and allow targeted treatments to emerge for the illness."

It appears malfunctions in the brain's marijuana-linked circuitry may make one vulnerable to schizophrenia, Ujike said. This holds especially true for a condition called hebephrenic schizophrenia, which is marked by deterioration of personality, senseless laughter, disorganized thought and lack of motivation. These symptoms are similar to psychotic behavior sometimes triggered by severe cannabis abuse, which could mean the marijuana receptors in schizophrenics are far more active than they should be.

Ujike stressed there is no evidence yet these genetic abnormalities can affect how the marijuana receptor actually acts in the brain. "We would also like to replicate our findings with different ethnic populations and more people," he added.

The researchers described their findings in the scientific journal Molecular Psychiatry.

(Reported by Charles Choi, UPI Science News, in New York)

Copyright © 2002 United Press International
 

[PeaceBeWithYou]

Hmmmmm...Japan....Thai stix perhaps? al and tipper's favorite flavor of pot...could explain alot.(just musing)

[TXFireman]

Ping.

[The Bolt]

I would like to see what brain desease manifests itself after a number of years of snorting Coke. It may explain the cokehead desease that so many Americans are so fond of. Could it be megalomaniac. Bill, do you have any insight for us little people?

[Madame de Winter]

This is bad science. If it's true for everyone then they'd have an universal sample. It's like reseach that say eggs are bad for you. No wait, there's another study: eggs are good for you.

My God our parents lived there lives w/out all this research. It's like global warming..There are latest findings and then there are real scientist..

[BlackbirdSST]

this is NOT the first evidence that genetic damage resulted from pot use.Shouldn't let the story get in the way, but it's not a genetic defect "caused" by pot use, it's genetic damage prior to pot use, that would make one suceptible to problems. Some folks shouldn't drink alcohol either for similar reasons. Blackbird.

[DallasMike]

I thought men in black was a movie.

That's what THEY want you to think.

[afraidfortherepublic]

The only thing that surprises me about this story is that I thought that heavy duty pot smoking was more likely to push the smoker into manic depressive disease. I base that on two people I have known who were users and on what my pediatrician told me about the drug in 1964 when a friend became manic depressive and tried to kill her children, supposedly after smoking only one (1) marijauana cigarette bought on the street in Berkeley, CA.

The UC Berkeley Director of Student Health gave an interview in about 1965 or 66 stating that it was his observation that heavy pot smokers no longer could reason logically -- which is the reason I think that they all claim to be unharmed from smoking this substance while those around them can easily see how irrational they can be.

[andyk]

Ujike stressed there is no evidence yet these genetic abnormalities can affect how the marijuana receptor actually acts in the brain. "We would also like to replicate our findings with different ethnic populations and more people," he added

No kidding. But, it's never too early for a loaded (no pun intended) headline.