1
|
Alves LDF, Moore JB, Kell DB. The Biology and Biochemistry of Kynurenic Acid, a Potential Nutraceutical with Multiple Biological Effects. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:9082. [PMID: 39201768 PMCID: PMC11354673 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25169082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2024] [Revised: 08/16/2024] [Accepted: 08/19/2024] [Indexed: 09/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Kynurenic acid (KYNA) is an antioxidant degradation product of tryptophan that has been shown to have a variety of cytoprotective, neuroprotective and neuronal signalling properties. However, mammalian transporters and receptors display micromolar binding constants; these are consistent with its typically micromolar tissue concentrations but far above its serum/plasma concentration (normally tens of nanomolar), suggesting large gaps in our knowledge of its transport and mechanisms of action, in that the main influx transporters characterized to date are equilibrative, not concentrative. In addition, it is a substrate of a known anion efflux pump (ABCC4), whose in vivo activity is largely unknown. Exogeneous addition of L-tryptophan or L-kynurenine leads to the production of KYNA but also to that of many other co-metabolites (including some such as 3-hydroxy-L-kynurenine and quinolinic acid that may be toxic). With the exception of chestnut honey, KYNA exists at relatively low levels in natural foodstuffs. However, its bioavailability is reasonable, and as the terminal element of an irreversible reaction of most tryptophan degradation pathways, it might be added exogenously without disturbing upstream metabolism significantly. Many examples, which we review, show that it has valuable bioactivity. Given the above, we review its potential utility as a nutraceutical, finding it significantly worthy of further study and development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Luana de Fátima Alves
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Building 220, Søltofts Plads, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - J. Bernadette Moore
- School of Food Science & Nutrition, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK;
- Department of Biochemistry, Cell & Systems Biology, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Crown St., Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK
| | - Douglas B. Kell
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Building 220, Søltofts Plads, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
- Department of Biochemistry, Cell & Systems Biology, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Crown St., Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Bo Y, Yu Q, Gao W. Progress of depression mechanism based on Omics method. J Pharm Biomed Anal 2024; 240:115884. [PMID: 38183729 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpba.2023.115884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2023] [Revised: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/08/2024]
Abstract
Depression is a very common disabling mental disorder, which is typically characterized by high rates of disability and mortality. Although research into the various mechanisms of depression was still underway, its physiopathology remains uncertain. The rapid developments in new technologies and the combined use of a variety of techniques will help to understand the pathogenesis of depression and explore effective treatment methods. In this review, we focus on the combination of proteomic and metabolomic approaches to analyze metabolites and proteins in animal models of depression induced by different modeling approaches, with the aim of broadening the understanding of the physiopathological mechanisms of depression using complementary "omics" strategy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yaping Bo
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, PR China
| | - Qing Yu
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, PR China
| | - Wenyuan Gao
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, PR China.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Ye F, Dong MC, Xu CX, Jiang N, Chang Q, Liu XM, Pan RL. Effects of different chronic restraint stress periods on anxiety- and depression-like behaviors and tryptophan-kynurenine metabolism along the brain-gut axis in C57BL/6N mice. Eur J Pharmacol 2024; 965:176301. [PMID: 38145646 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2023.176301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2023] [Revised: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/27/2023]
Abstract
Chronic restraint stress (CRS) is a widely used stimulus to induce anxiety- and depression-like behaviors, linked to alterations in tryptophan-kynurenine (TRP-KYN) metabolism in animals. This study assessed the effects of different CRS periods on anxiety- or depression-like behaviors and TRP-KYN metabolism along brain-gut axis in C57BL/6N mice. Results showed that one-week CRS decreased the open arm entries of mice in elevated plus maze and delayed latency of feeding in novelty suppressed feeding test. Four-week CRS reduced sucrose preference, increases forced swimming immobility time, and also induced anxiety-like behaviors of mice. UPLC-MS/MS analysis revealed decreased levels of the neurotoxic 3-hydroxykynurenine (3-HK) and quinolinic acid (QA), and an increase in the neuroprotective kynurenic acid (KA) in the hippocampus of one-week CRS mice; meanwhile, four-week CRS mice displayed a reduction in KA and increases in 3-HK and QA. In the colon, both one-week and four-week CRS mice exhibited significant reductions in 3-HK and QA, with a marked increase of KA exclusively in four-week CRS mice. Briefly, one-week CRS only induced anxiety-like behaviors with hippocampal neuroprotection in TRP-KYN metabolism, whereas four-week CRS caused anxiety- and depression-like behaviors with neurotoxicity. In the colon, during both CRS periods, KYN was metabolized in the direction of NAD+ production. However, four-week CRS triggered intestinal inflammation risk with increased KA. Summarily, slightly short-term stress has beneficial effects on mice, while prolonged chronic stress can lead to pathological changes. This study offers valuable insights into stress-induced emotional disturbances.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fan Ye
- Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Meng-Chen Dong
- Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Chen-Xi Xu
- Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Ning Jiang
- Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Qi Chang
- Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Xin-Min Liu
- Institute of Drug Discovery Technology, Ningbo University, No. 818, Feng Hua Road, Jiangbei District, Ningbo, 315000, China.
| | - Rui-Le Pan
- Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193, China.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Liu M, Ma W, He Y, Sun Z, Yang J. Recent Progress in Mass Spectrometry-Based Metabolomics in Major Depressive Disorder Research. Molecules 2023; 28:7430. [PMID: 37959849 PMCID: PMC10647556 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28217430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2023] [Revised: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a serious mental illness with a heavy social burden, but its underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Mass spectrometry (MS)-based metabolomics is providing new insights into the heterogeneous pathophysiology, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of MDD by revealing multi-parametric biomarker signatures at the metabolite level. In this comprehensive review, recent developments of MS-based metabolomics in MDD research are summarized from the perspective of analytical platforms (liquid chromatography-MS, gas chromatography-MS, supercritical fluid chromatography-MS, etc.), strategies (untargeted, targeted, and pseudotargeted metabolomics), key metabolite changes (monoamine neurotransmitters, amino acids, lipids, etc.), and antidepressant treatments (both western and traditional Chinese medicines). Depression sub-phenotypes, comorbid depression, and multi-omics approaches are also highlighted to stimulate further advances in MS-based metabolomics in the field of MDD research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mingxia Liu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, National Center for Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100088, China; (M.L.)
- Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China
| | - Wen Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Yi He
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, National Center for Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100088, China; (M.L.)
- Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China
| | - Zuoli Sun
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, National Center for Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100088, China; (M.L.)
- Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China
| | - Jian Yang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, National Center for Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100088, China; (M.L.)
- Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China
| |
Collapse
|