ABSTRACT
Objective:To investigate the effects of an atypical antipsychotic drug olanzapine on the body mass index(BMI), leptin and hypothalamic neurohormone related to appetite regulation in the first-attack psychotic patients after 4-week treatment. Methods:Totally 38 first-attack psychotic patients meeting DSM-Ⅳ diagnostic criteria were treated with olanzapine for 4 weeks. The BMI,blood lipids,blood glucose and neurohormone were measured before and after the treatment. The normal control group was also considered the above indices. Results:After the 4-week treatment, the body weight and the body mass index increased significantly when compared with those before the treatment (P < 0.01),and the plasma levels of TC,TG and LDL were higher than those before the treatment(P < 0.05). Both leptin and NPY levels significantly increased in the patients after the treatment (P <0.05),while the NPY levels were significantly lower before the treatment when compared with those in the control group(P< 0.05). The α-MSH levels before and after the treatment were significantly lower than those in the control group(P < 0.01). The CART levels had no significant difference among the pre-treatment group, post-treatment group and control group (P >0.05). Conclusion:The levels of leptin and neurohormone may be changed in the early treatment of olanzapine in the patients with schizophrenia,which may cause weight gain.