title: Protection of neuronal cells against reactive oxygen species by carnosine and related compounds.
abstract: Carnosine and related compounds were compared in terms of their abilities to decrease the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in suspensions of isolated neurons activated by N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) using both stationary fluorescence measurements and flow cytometry. Carnosine was found to suppress the fluorescent signal induced by ROS production and decreased the proportion of highly fluorescent neurons, while histidine showed opposite effects. N-Acetylated derivatives of both carnosine and histidine demonstrated weak (statistically indistinguishable) suppressive effects on the ROS signal. N-Methylated derivatives of carnosine suppressed intracellular ROS generation to the same extent as carnosine. This rank of effectiveness is distinct from that previously obtained for the anti-radical ability of CRCs (anserine>carnosine>ophidine). These differences suggest that the similar ability of carnosine and its N-methylated derivatives to protect neuronal cells against the excitotoxic effect of NMDA is not solely related to the antioxidant properties of these compounds.
authors.affiliation: Department of Aquatic Bioscience, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan. aaboldyrev@mail.ru
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Boldyrev
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bulygina
authors.forename: Toomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Leinsoo
authors.forename: Irina
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Petrushanko
authors.forename: Shiori
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tsubone
authors.forename: Hiroki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Abe
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000861:Anserine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002336:Carnosine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D016202:N-Methylaspartate / Q000494:pharmacology; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence
chemical_list: D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D016202:N-Methylaspartate; D002336:Carnosine; D000861:Anserine