Lipid Peroxidation and Antioxidant Status in Schizophrenic Patients Treated by Quetiapine

Objectives: To find the effect of quetiapine on lipid peroxidation and serum total antioxidant status (TAS) in schizophrenic patients. Patients and methods: The subjects comprised 27 schizophrenic patients and 27 healthy volunteers.Clinical symptoms for the patients were assessed in Brief Individual Psychiatry Rating Scale (BPRS) items. The patients were treated with quetiapine (200-500 mg/day) orally for 8 weeks then reevaluated after the treatment. Blood samples from the patients were taken before and after quetiapine treatments. Other blood samples were taken from healthy subjects as a control group. Serum was obtained and analyzed for malondialdehyde (MDA) and TAS. Results: Base time and after 8 weeks of quetiapine treatment showed a significant decrease in BPRS score in the schizophrenic patients. Serum MDA was significantly higher in the schizophrenic patients (difference = 124.1% of control) than controls. The parameter decreased significantly after quetiapine treatment by 16.9% compared with before treatment values. Serum TAS, in the schizophrenic patients, was significantly lower (38.4%) than controls. Quetiapine increased serum TAS significantly by 21.1%. Quetiapine treatment significantly increased body mass index (BMI) by 2.9%. Conclusion: Quetiapine depressed lipid peroxidation, and raised serum TAS in schizophrenic patients. The change in these parameters by quetiapine may play a role in its therapeutic activit.