Magnesium and Zinc in Schizophrenia.

Abstract

Schizophrenia is a severe recurrent chronic disease that affects a large number of patients. Numerous genetic and epigenetic factors are involved in the pathogenesis of this disease. The involvement of magnesium and zinc has been relatively little studied and often underestimated. The main mechanisms by which zinc and magnesium are involved in the pathogenesis of these diseases is their influence on the neurotransmitter systems at the cerebral level (dopaminergic, glutamatergic, serotoninergic, GABAergic, catecholaminergic and cannabinoid systems). The action of many other factors involved in one form or another in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia is influenced by magnesium and zinc. Among these factors, we mention neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, nuclear factor kB (NF-kappaB), galanin, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), substance P(SP), oxytocin, ACTH, prolactin and others. There are also data related to some interactions between antipsychotic medication and the two cations, as well as to disturbed physiological processes (sleep, appetite) in patients with schizophrenia. The existing data show that the concentrations of the two cations must always be determined and the deficits immediately corrected.