title: Oral administration of chicken breast extract increases brain carnosine and anserine concentrations in rats.
abstract: Carnosine (beta-alanyl-L-histidine) and its derivative anserine (beta-alanyl-1-methyl-L-histidine) are antioxidants and putative neurotransmitters in the brain. These dipeptides are rich in the commercially available supplement chicken breast extract (CBEX). To clarify the effects of CBEX on the brain, we examined whether single oral administration of CBEX (20 ml/kg) affects brain dipeptide and free amino acid concentrations in male Wistar rats. CBEX significantly and time-dependently increased carnosine and anserine levels in the plasma (at 120 min after injection, increase rates were 2976 and 4142%, respectively), hippocampus (64 and 78%), and hypothalamus (188 and 120%), but not in cerebral cortex. Significant and time-dependent increases in citrulline in the hippocampus (49%) and hypothalamus (41%) demonstrated generation of nitric oxide due to the increased carnosine and/or anserine levels in these brain regions. These findings suggest that CBEX modifies brain functions by increasing levels of these dipeptides.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Advanced Animal and Marine Bioresources, Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Sciences, Kyushu University, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka-shi, Japan.
authors.forename: Shozo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tomonaga
authors.forename: Toru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hayakawa
authors.forename: Haruka
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamane
authors.forename: Hirohiko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Maemura
authors.forename: Mikako
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Yoshihisa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takahata
authors.forename: Fumiki
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Morimatsu
authors.forename: Mitsuhiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Furuse
mesh_terms: D000596:Amino Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D000861:Anserine / Q000378:metabolism*; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D002336:Carnosine / Q000378:metabolism*; D002645:Chickens; D002956:Citrulline / Q000494:pharmacology; D008460:Meat; D051381:Rats; D014020:Tissue Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D014020:Tissue Extracts; D002956:Citrulline; D002336:Carnosine; D000861:Anserine