Essential fatty acids predict metabolites of serotonin and dopamine in cerebrospinal fluid among healthy control subjects, and early- and late-onset alcoholics

• Published in: Biological psychiatry (1969) Vol. 44; no. 4; pp. 235 - 242
• Main Authors: Hibbeln, Joseph R, Linnoila, Markku, Umhau, John C, Rawlings, Robert, George, David T, Salem, Norman
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 15-08-1998; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid; Addictive behaviors; Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Age of Onset; Alcoholism; Alcoholism - cerebrospinal fluid; Alcoholism - classification; Alcoholism - metabolism; arachidonic acid; Biological and medical sciences; Biomarkers - blood; Biomarkers - cerebrospinal fluid; Case-Control Studies; cholesterol; Cholesterol - blood; Cross-Sectional Studies; docosahexaenoic acid; Docosahexaenoic Acids - blood; Dopamine - metabolism; essential fatty acids; Fatty Acids, Unsaturated - blood; Female; Homovanillic Acid - cerebrospinal fluid; Humans; Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid - cerebrospinal fluid; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; polyunsaturated fatty acids; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Regression Analysis; serotonin; Serotonin - metabolism; Statistics, Nonparametric; suicide; violence; arachidonic acid; serotonin; 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid; Alcoholism; docosahexaenoic acid; polyunsaturated fatty acids; suicide; cholesterol; violence; essential fatty acids; Human; Late; Dopamine; Serotonin; Metabolite; Lipids; Cerebrospinal fluid; Metabolism; Fatty acids; Essential; Age of onset; Early; Comparative study
• ISSN: 0006-3223; 1873-2402
• DOI: 10.1016/S0006-3223(98)00141-3

Background: Impulsive violence, suicide, and depression are strongly associated with low concentrations of cerebrospinal fluid 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (CSF 5-HIAA). Increased suicide and trauma reported in some cholesterol-lowering trials may be related to altered concentrations of polyunsaturated fatty acids rather than cholesterol, a possible surrogate marker.
Methods: CSF 5-HIAA and homovanillic acid (HVA), total cholesterol, and plasma fatty acid concentrations were examined in 176 subjects, including 49 healthy volunteers, and 88 early- and 39 late-onset alcoholics.
Results: Among each group, polyunsaturated fatty acids predicted both CSF 5-HIAA and CSF HVA concentrations, but total cholesterol was unrelated to either neurotransmitter metabolite. The relationships between plasma 22:6n3 and CSF 5-HIAA were significantly different when healthy volunteers (
r = .35) were compared to early-onset alcoholics (
r = −.38) (
p < .0002).
Conclusions: Dietary studies are indicated to determine if essential fatty acid supplementation can influence central nervous system serotonin and dopamine metabolism and modify impulsive behaviors related to these neurotransmitters.