Assessment of the Human Kynurenine Pathway: Comparisons and Clinical Implications of Ethnic and Gender Differences in Plasma Tryptophan, Kynurenine Metabolites, and Enzyme Expressions at Baseline and after Acute Tryptophan Loading and Depletion
Author
Badawy, Abdulla
Dougherty, D M
Date
2016-08-10Acceptance date
2016-07-19
Type
Article
Publisher
SAGE
ISSN
1178-6469
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Tryptophan (Trp) metabolism via the kynurenine pathway (KP) was assessed in normal healthy US volunteers at baseline and after acute Trp depletion (ATD) and acute Trp loading (ATL) using amino acid formulations. The hepatic KP accounts for ~90% of overall Trp degradation. Liver Trp 2,3-dioxygenase (TDO) contributes ~70% toward Trp oxidation, with the remainder achieved by subsequent rate-limiting enzymes in the KP. TDO is not influenced by a 1.15 g Trp load, but is maximally activated by a 5.15 g dose. We recommend a 30 mg/kg dose for future ATL studies. ATD activates TDO and enhances the Trp flux down the KP via its leucine component. Higher plasma free [Trp] and lower total [Trp] are observed in women, with no gender differences in kynurenines. Kynurenic acid is lower in female Caucasians, which may explain their lower incidence of schizophrenia. African-American and Hispanic women have a lower TDO and Trp oxidation relative to free Trp than the corresponding men. African-American women have a potentially higher 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid/anthranilic acid ratio, which may protect them against osteoporosis. Future studies of the KP in relation to health and disease should focus on gender and ethnic differences.
Journal/conference proceeding
International Journal of Tryptophan Research;
Citation
Badawy, A.A.B. and Dougherty, D.M. (2016) 'Assessment of the human kynurenine pathway: comparisons and clinical implications of ethnic and gender differences in plasma tryptophan, kynurenine metabolites, and enzyme expressions at baseline and after acute tryptophan loading and depletion', International Journal of Tryptophan Research, 9, pp.IJTR-S38189. DOI: 10.4137/IJTR.S38189.
Description
Article published in International Journal of Tryptophan Research on 10 August 2016, available open access at: https://doi.org/10.4137/IJTR.S38189.
Sponsorship
Cardiff Metropolitan University (Grant ID: Cardiff Metropolian (Internal))
This work was supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism of the National Institutes of Health (R01AA14988 and R01AA018124).