Aromatic Comounds

Taraxein: What Is It?
Dr. Robert Heath invented the word "taraxein" to describe a globulin that he found in the blood serum of schizophrenics. At first he described the substance as an alpha-2-globulin similar to ceruloplasmin. Taraxein, hoever, was not ceruloplasmin. Ceruloplasmin is a protein that functions as a carrier molecule for copper atoms. Later on Heath felt that there were two components. One component was a small molecule. The small molecule, which he felt was the active principle, was bound to a protein. This protein was a globulin. The small molecule was thought to be an amine.

Shown here are aromatic compounds. These particular ones are mostly flavors. However, benzene is a hydrocarbon. Hydrocarbons can be very toxic. This clipart is from Pharmacology Central, one of my favorite sites.

Shown here are bioflavonoids, which are treatments in alternative medicine. Again the clipart is from Pharmacology Central.

This is levodopa, also known as L-dopa. It is the direct precursor of dopamine. s a drug used in the treatment of Parkinson's disease, it has has a side effect of sometimes producing tics. For this reason it has been studied in relation to the Tourette snydrome, which has tics. The Tourette syndrome may be an error in dopamine metabolism. The clipart is from Molecule of the Month.

This clipart, again from Molecule of the Month, shows Tolcapone. Tolcapone is a drug used to treat Parkinson's disease because it is a COMT inhibitor. This slows the breakdown of dopamine. COMT methylates dopamine.

Shown here is the late Arnold J. Friedhoff (1924-2001) of New York University. Along with Elnora van Winkle, he discovered the infamous "pink spot", found only is schizophrenics. He identified the spot as DMPEA. After criticism, he abandoned this research and then studied the Tourette syndrome. However, van Winkle has remained loyal to the theory. She is still alive and has her own website. She favors self-help. She refers to the "toxic mind". She is retired as a neuroscientist but is still a writer.

This is another clipart from Pharmacology Central. It show more aromatic compounds. But what does this have to do with taraxein? The answere is that taraxein may be DMPEA, which is an aromatic compound. DMPEA is a metabolite of dopamine. THese other aromatic compounds may compete with dopamine for methylation by COMT. This is by no means the only theory for schizophrenia, but it is a very strong one. If this is true, polyphenols are potential treatments.

Shown here are stimulant drugs. Again the clipart is from Pharmacology Central. As one can see, Ritalin is in the amphetamine family. Amphetamine and Ritalin can both produce a temporary psychosis, as can other amphetamine analogs. These drugs are similar in structure to DMPEA and to its close relative, dopamine. THis appears to strengthen both the DMPEA theory and the related dopamine hypothesis. One variant of the dopamine hypothesis is that the receptors are abnormal, but that finding is likely to be a drug side effect. Certain drugs act on dopamine receptors.

Shown here is RItalin (methyphenidate) as depicted in the Molecule of the Month website. Unfortunately this drug, like many prescription drugs, has adverse side effects. Information on these side effects can be obtained from the Molecule of the Month website as well as other websites.

This figure shows catecholamine synthesis. The clipart is from a Rutgers website which contains an online psychopharmacology textbook.

Shown here is Nobel Prize winner Dr. Arvid Carlsson, an expert on neurotransmitters. Carlsson is still alive and still doing research in Sweden. He is famous for advocating the dopamine theory of schizophrenia.