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Shebl N, El-Jaafary S, Saeed AA, Elkafrawy P, El-Sayed A, Shamma S, Elnemr R, Mekky J, Mohamed LA, Kittaneh O, El-Fawal H, Rizig M, Salama M. Metabolomic profiling reveals altered phenylalanine metabolism in Parkinson's disease in an Egyptian cohort. Front Mol Biosci 2024; 11:1341950. [PMID: 38516193 PMCID: PMC10955577 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2024.1341950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Parkinson's disease (PD) is the most common motor neurodegenerative disease worldwide. Given the complexity of PD etiology and the different metabolic derangements correlated to the disease, metabolomics profiling of patients is a helpful tool to identify patho-mechanistic pathways for the disease development. Dopamine metabolism has been the target of several previous studies, of which some have reported lower phenylalanine and tyrosine levels in PD patients compared to controls. Methods: In this study, we have collected plasma from 27 PD patients, 18 reference controls, and 8 high-risk controls to perform a metabolomic study using liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS). Results: Our findings revealed higher intensities of trans-cinnamate, a phenylalanine metabolite, in patients compared to reference controls. Thus, we hypothesize that phenylalanine metabolism has been shifted to produce trans-cinnamate via L-phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL), instead of producing tyrosine, a dopamine precursor, via phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH). Discussion: Given that these metabolites are precursors to several other metabolic pathways, the intensities of many metabolites such as dopamine, norepinephrine, and 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid, which connects phenylalanine metabolism to that of tryptophan, have been altered. Consequently, and in respect to Metabolic Control Analysis (MCA) theory, the levels of tryptophan metabolites have also been altered. Some of these metabolites are tryptamine, melatonin, and nicotinamide. Thus, we assume that these alterations could contribute to the dopaminergic, adrenergic, and serotonergic neurodegeneration that happen in the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nourhan Shebl
- Institute of Global Health and Human Ecology (I-GHHE), The American University in Cairo, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Shaimaa El-Jaafary
- Neurology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt
- Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI), Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Ayman A Saeed
- Applied Organic Chemistry Department, Chemical Industries Research Institute, National Research Centre (NRC), Giza, Egypt
| | - Passent Elkafrawy
- Technology and Energy Research Center, Effat University-College of Engineering-NSMTU, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Amr El-Sayed
- Social Research Center, The American University in Cairo, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Samir Shamma
- Institute of Global Health and Human Ecology (I-GHHE), The American University in Cairo, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Rasha Elnemr
- Climate Change Information Center & Expert Systems (CCICES), Agriculture Research Center, Giza, Egypt
| | - Jaidaa Mekky
- Neurology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
| | - Lobna A Mohamed
- Neurology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
| | - Omar Kittaneh
- Technology and Energy Research Center, Effat University-College of Engineering-NSMTU, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hassan El-Fawal
- Institute of Global Health and Human Ecology (I-GHHE), The American University in Cairo, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Mie Rizig
- Queen Square, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Mohamed Salama
- Institute of Global Health and Human Ecology (I-GHHE), The American University in Cairo, Cairo, Egypt
- Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI), Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
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