scholarly journals Maternal Inflammation Results in Altered Tryptophan Metabolism in Rabbit Placenta and Fetal Brain

2017 ◽  
Vol 39 (5) ◽  
pp. 399-412 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monica Williams ◽  
Zhi Zhang ◽  
Elizabeth Nance ◽  
Julia L. Drewes ◽  
Wojciech G. Lesniak ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cerebral Palsy ◽  
Microglial Activation ◽  
Rabbit Model ◽  
Fetal Brain ◽  
Kynurenine Pathway ◽  
Tryptophan Metabolism ◽  
Maternal Inflammation ◽  
Newborn Brain ◽  
Tryptophan Pathway ◽  
Tryptophan Metabolites

Maternal inflammation has been linked to neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders such as cerebral palsy, schizophrenia, and autism. We had previously shown that intrauterine inflammation resulted in a decrease in serotonin, one of the tryptophan metabolites, and a decrease in serotonin fibers in the sensory cortex of newborns in a rabbit model of cerebral palsy. In this study, we hypothesized that maternal inflammation results in alterations in tryptophan pathway enzymes and metabolites in the placenta and fetal brain. We found that intrauterine endotoxin administration at gestational day 28 (G28) resulted in a significant upregulation of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) in both the placenta and fetal brain at G29 (24 h after treatment). This endotoxin-mediated IDO induction was also associated with intense microglial activation, an increase in interferon gamma expression, and increases in kynurenine and the kynurenine pathway metabolites kynurenine acid and quinolinic acid, as well as a significant decrease in 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid (a precursor of serotonin) levels in the periventricular region of the fetal brain. These results indicate that maternal inflammation shunts tryptophan metabolism away from the serotonin to the kynurenine pathway, which may lead to excitotoxic injury along with impaired development of serotonin-mediated thalamocortical fibers in the newborn brain. These findings provide new targets for prevention and treatment of maternal inflammation-induced fetal and neonatal brain injury leading to neurodevelopmental disorders such as cerebral palsy and autism.

scholarly journals Induction of pterin synthesis is not required for cytokine-stimulated tryptophan metabolism

1993 ◽  
Vol 295 (2) ◽  
pp. 543-547 ◽  
Author(s):  
N Sakai ◽  
K Saito ◽  
S Kaufman ◽  
M P Heyes ◽  
S Milstien
Keyword(s):  
Immune System ◽  
Interferon Gamma ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Human Fibroblasts ◽  
Kynurenine Pathway ◽  
Tryptophan Metabolism ◽  
Model Systems ◽  
Tryptophan Degradation ◽  
Genetic Deficiency ◽  
Tryptophan Metabolites

Activation of the immune system which occurs in inflammatory disease leads to parallel increases in pterin synthesis and increased production of neuroactive L-tryptophan metabolites. Several model systems were studied to determine whether pterins, which are cofactors for hydroxylation reactions, could be required in the oxidative kynurenine pathway of L-tryptophan degradation. Treatment of mice with interferon-gamma increased L-tryptophan metabolism without any corresponding change in tissue biopterin concentrations. Cytokine-treated human fibroblasts, macrophages and glioblastoma cells all showed increases in kynurenine production, which were completely independent of pterin synthesis. When pterin synthesis de novo was blocked, either by an inhibitor of GTP cyclohydrolase or because of a genetic deficiency of one of the enzymes of the pathway of pterin biosynthesis, cytokine-stimulated increases in tryptophan metabolism were unaffected. Furthermore, increasing intracellular tetrahydrobiopterin concentrations by treating cells with sepia-pterin also had no effect on markers of tryptophan metabolism. Therefore, both normal and cytokine-stimulated L-tryptophan metabolism appears to be completely independent of pterin biosynthesis.

scholarly journals Chronic Unpredictable Stress Alters Brain Tryptophan Metabolism and Impairs Working Memory in Mice without Causing Depression-Like Behaviour

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Jason C. O’Connor ◽  
Grace A. Porter ◽  
Jason C. O’Connor
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Picolinic Acid ◽  
Kynurenine Pathway ◽  
Tryptophan Metabolism ◽  
Xanthurenic Acid ◽  
Chronic Unpredictable Stress ◽  
Nesting Behaviour ◽  
Tryptophan Metabolites ◽  
Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid ◽  
The Brain

Chronic stress is a well-known risk factor in major depressive disorder and disrupts the kynurenine and serotonin pathways of tryptophan metabolism. Here, we characterize the temporal central and peripheral changes in tryptophan metabolism and concomitant depressive-like behavioural phenotype induced during the progression of chronic unpredictable stress (CUS). Mice were exposed to 0, 10, 20, or 30 days of CUS followed by a panel of behavioural assays to determine depressive-like phenotypes. Immediately after behavioural testing, plasma and brain tissue were collected for metabolic analysis. While anhedonia-like and anxiety-like behaviours were unaffected by stress, nesting behaviour and cognitive deficits became apparent in response to CUS exposure. While CUS caused a transient reduction in circulating quinolinic acid, no other tryptophan metabolites significantly changed in response to CUS. In the brain, tryptophan, kynurenine, picolinic acid, and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid concentrations were significantly elevated in CUS-exposed mice compared with non-stress control animals, while kynurenic acid, xanthurenic acid, and serotonin decreased in CUS-exposed mice. Metabolic turnover of serotonin to the major metabolite 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid was markedly increased in response to CUS. These results suggest that CUS impairs hippocampal-dependent working memory and enhances nascent nesting behaviour in C57BL/6J male mice, and these behaviours are associated with increased brain kynurenine pathway metabolism leading to accumulation of picolinic acid and a significant reduction in serotonin levels.

scholarly journals The Effects of Maternal Interleukin-17A on Social Behavior, Cognitive Function, and Depression-Like Behavior in Mice with Altered Kynurenine Metabolites

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 117864692110266
Author(s):  
Yuki Murakami ◽  
Yukio Imamura ◽  
Yoshiyuki Kasahara ◽  
Chihiro Yoshida ◽  
Yuta Momono ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Neuronal Development ◽  
Fetal Brain ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Maternal Serum ◽  
Fetal Plasma ◽  
Maternal Inflammation ◽  
Interleukin 17A ◽  
Behavioral Abnormalities ◽  
Neuroactive Compounds ◽  
The Impact

Viral infection and chronic maternal inflammation during pregnancy are correlated with a higher prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, the pathoetiology of ASD is not fully understood; moreover, the key molecules that can cross the placenta following maternal inflammation and contribute to the development of ASD have not been identified. Recently, the pro-inflammatory cytokine, interleukin-17A (IL-17A) was identified as a potential mediator of these effects. To investigate the impact of maternal IL-17A on offspring, C57BL/6J dams were injected with IL-17A-expressing plasmids via the tail vein on embryonic day 12.5 (E12.5), and maternal IL-17A was expressed continuously throughout pregnancy. By adulthood, IL-17A-injected offspring exhibited behavioral abnormalities, including social and cognitive defects. Additionally, maternal IL-17A promoted metabolism of the essential amino acid tryptophan, which produces several neuroactive compounds and may affect fetal neurodevelopment. We observed significantly increased levels of kynurenine in maternal serum and fetal plasma. Thus, we investigated the effects of high maternal concentration of kynurenine on offspring by continuously administering mouse dams with kynurenine from E12.5 during gestation. Obviously, maternal kynurenine administration rapidly increased kynurenine levels in the fetal plasma and brain, pointing to the ability of kynurenine to cross the placenta and change the KP metabolites which are affected as neuroactive compounds in the fetal brain. Notably, the offspring of kynurenine-injected mice exhibited behavioral abnormalities similar to those observed in offspring of IL-17A-conditioned mice. Several tryptophan metabolites were significantly altered in the prefrontal cortex of the IL-17A-conditioned and kynurenine-injected adult mice, but not in the hippocampus. Even though we cannot exclude the possibility or other molecules being related to ASD pathogenesis and the presence of a much lower degree of pathway activation, our results suggest that increased kynurenine following maternal inflammation may be a key factor in changing the balance of KP metabolites in fetal brain during neuronal development and represents a therapeutic target for inflammation-induced ASD-like phenotypes.

scholarly journals Effects of neuroactive metabolites of the tryptophan pathway on working memory and cortical thickness in schizophrenia

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Junchao Huang ◽  
Jinghui Tong ◽  
Ping Zhang ◽  
Yanfang Zhou ◽  
Yimin Cui ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Cortical Thickness ◽  
Serum Levels ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
Tryptophan Pathway ◽  
Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass ◽  
Therapeutic Development ◽  
Tryptophan Metabolites ◽  
Insight Into

AbstractA number of tryptophan metabolites known to be neuroactive have been examined for their potential associations with cognitive deficits in schizophrenia. Among these metabolites, kynurenic acid (KYNA), 5-hydroxyindole (5-HI), and quinolinic acid (QUIN) are documented in their diverse effects on α-7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7nAChR) and/or N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR), two of the receptor types thought to contribute to cognitive impairment in schizophrenia. In this study, serum levels of KYNA, 5-HI, and QUIN were measured in 195 patients with schizophrenia and in 70 healthy controls using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry; cognitive performance in MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery and cortical thickness measured by magnetic resonance imaging were obtained. Patients with schizophrenia had significantly lower serum KYNA (p < 0.001) and QUIN (p = 0.02) levels, and increased 5-HI/KYNA (p < 0.001) and QUIN/KYNA ratios (p < 0.001) compared with healthy controls. Multiple linear regression showed that working memory was positively correlated with serum 5-HI levels (t = 2.10, p = 0.04), but inversely correlated with KYNA concentrations (t = −2.01, p = 0.05) in patients. Patients with high 5-HI and low KYNA had better working memory than other subgroups (p = 0.01). Higher 5-HI levels were associated with thicker left lateral orbitofrontal cortex (t = 3.71, p = 2.94 × 10−4) in patients. The different effects of 5-HI and KYNA on working memory may appear consistent with their opposite receptor level mechanisms. Our findings appear to provide a new insight into the dynamic roles of tryptophan pathway metabolites on cognition, which may benefit novel therapeutic development that targets cognitive impairment in schizophrenia.

scholarly journals Lack of Skeletal Muscle Serotonin Impairs Physical Performance

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 117864692110031
Author(s):  
Marion Falabrègue ◽  
Anne-Claire Boschat ◽  
Romain Jouffroy ◽  
Marieke Derquennes ◽  
Haidar Djemai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Skeletal Muscle ◽  
Endurance Training ◽  
Physical Performance ◽  
Depressive Disorders ◽  
Tryptophan Metabolism ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Tryptophan Metabolites ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Deficient Mice

Low levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin have been associated with the onset of depression. While traditional treatments include antidepressants, physical exercise has emerged as an alternative for patients with depressive disorders. Yet there remains the fundamental question of how exercise is sensed by the brain. The existence of a muscle–brain endocrine loop has been proposed: according to this scenario, exercise modulates metabolization of tryptophan into kynurenine within skeletal muscle, which in turn affects the brain, enhancing resistance to depression. But the breakdown of tryptophan into kynurenine during exercise may also alter serotonin synthesis and help limit depression. In this study, we investigated whether peripheral serotonin might play a role in muscle–brain communication permitting adaptation for endurance training. We first quantified tryptophan metabolites in the blood of 4 trained athletes before and after a long-distance trail race and correlated changes in tryptophan metabolism with physical performance. In parallel, to assess exercise capacity and endurance in trained control and peripheral serotonin–deficient mice, we used a treadmill incremental test. Peripheral serotonin–deficient mice exhibited a significant drop in physical performance despite endurance training. Brain levels of tryptophan metabolites were similar in wild-type and peripheral serotonin–deficient animals, and no products of muscle-induced tryptophan metabolism were found in the plasma or brains of peripheral serotonin–deficient mice. But mass spectrometric analyses revealed a significant decrease in levels of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), the main serotonin metabolite, in both the soleus and plantaris muscles, demonstrating that metabolization of tryptophan into serotonin in muscles is essential for adaptation to endurance training. In light of these findings, the breakdown of tryptophan into peripheral but not brain serotonin appears to be the rate-limiting step for muscle adaptation to endurance training. The data suggest that there is a peripheral mechanism responsible for the positive effects of exercise, and that muscles are secretory organs with autocrine-paracrine roles in which serotonin has a local effect.

scholarly journals Exploitation of the IDO Pathway in the Therapy of Rheumatoid Arthritis

2013 ◽  
Vol 6s1 ◽  
pp. IJTR.S11737 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard O. Williams
Keyword(s):  
Rheumatoid Arthritis ◽  
Anthranilic Acid ◽  
Kynurenine Pathway ◽  
Gene Encoding ◽  
Rate Limiting Step ◽  
Tryptophan Metabolites ◽  
Synthetic Derivative ◽  
Rate Limiting ◽  
Kinetics Of ◽  
Draining Lymph Nodes

Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) is the first and rate-limiting step along the kynurenine pathway and is thought to play a key role in immune homeostasis through depletion of tryptophan and accumulation of kynurenines. In this review we summarize recent research into the possibility of harnessing the IDO pathway for the therapy of rheumatoid arthritis. Inhibition of IDO activity, or knockout of the gene encoding IDO, was shown to cause an increase in the severity of collagen-induced arthritis, an animal model of rheumatoid arthritis. The increased severity of disease was associated with elevated numbers of pathogenic Th1 and Th17 cells in the joints and draining lymph nodes. In another study, analysis of the kinetics of expression of downstream kynurenine pathway enzymes during the course of arthritis revealed a potential role for tryptophan metabolites in resolution of arthritis. Furthermore, the therapeutic administration of L-kynurenine or [3,4-dimethoxycinnamonyl]-anthranilic acid (a synthetic derivative of 3-hydroxy-anthranilic acid) significantly reduced both clinical and histological progression of experimental arthritis. These findings raise the possibility of exploiting the IDO pathway for the therapy of autoimmune disease.

scholarly journals Magnitude of [11C]PK11195 Binding Is Related to Severity of Motor Deficits in a Rabbit Model of Cerebral Palsy Induced by Intrauterine Endotoxin Exposure

2011 ◽  
Vol 33 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 231-240 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sujatha Kannan ◽  
Fadoua Saadani-Makki ◽  
Bindu Balakrishnan ◽  
Pulak Chakraborty ◽  
James Janisse ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cerebral Palsy ◽  
Rabbit Model ◽  
Motor Deficits ◽  
Endotoxin Exposure

scholarly journals Cerebral Palsy and Heterotaxy Syndrome: A Case Report

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abba Musa Abdullahi ◽  
Ibrahim Muhammad Abdullahi
Keyword(s):  
Cerebral Palsy ◽  
Case Report ◽  
Abdominal Distension ◽  
Traumatic Experience ◽  
Diagnostic Apparatus ◽  
Clear Understanding ◽  
Supporting Evidence ◽  
Heterotaxy Syndrome ◽  
Neurodevelopmental Disease ◽  
Newborn Brain

Abstract Background: Cerebral palsy is not only a serious neurodevelopmental disease causing significant morbidity in children, but also a traumatic experience leading to psychosocial trauma to the parents or caregivers of the affected children. It is usually caused by prenatal or early post-natal insults to the newborn brain which may be associated with some congenital syndromes like congenital heart disease with transposition of the viscera but rarely a heterotaxy syndrome, a condition characterized with congenitally abnormal arrangement of the thoracic and abdominal viscera.Method: We present a case report of a 12 month old boy with neurodevelopmental delay, recurrent episodes of non-mucoid and non-bloody diarrhea, occasional constipation, bilious vomiting, abdominal distension and fever with associated cough and difficulty in breathing.Results: We discuss an unusual presentation of cerebral palsy and heterotaxy syndrome diagnosed clinically with supporting evidence from both laboratory and radiological tests. We also provide a brief literature review of the incidence and prevalence, causes and risk factors, classification, clinical presentation and associated co-morbidities of heterotaxy syndrome.Conclusion: Diagnosis of heterotaxy syndrome in a child with background cerebral palsy is a great challenge to both physicians and radiologists. This is more so in developing countries due to poor availability of good diagnostic apparatus, therefore, a high index of suspicion is needed. A clear understanding of the clinical features, comprehensive history taking and thorough physical examination are important in making prompt diagnosis. Timely and appropriate imaging is necessary to prevent delays in diagnosis and treatment which lead to poor outcomes.

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