title: Kynurenines with neuroactive and redox properties: relevance to aging and brain diseases.
abstract: The kynurenine pathway (KP) is the main route of tryptophan degradation whose final product is NAD(+). The metabolism of tryptophan can be altered in ageing and with neurodegenerative process, leading to decreased biosynthesis of nicotinamide. This fact is very relevant considering that tryptophan is the major source of body stores of the nicotinamide-containing NAD(+) coenzymes, which is involved in almost all the bioenergetic and biosynthetic metabolism. Recently, it has been proposed that endogenous tryptophan and its metabolites can interact and/or produce reactive oxygen species in tissues and cells. This subject is of great importance due to the fact that oxidative stress, alterations in KP metabolites, energetic deficit, cell death, and inflammatory events may converge each other to enter into a feedback cycle where each one depends on the other to exert synergistic actions among them. It is worth mentioning that all these factors have been described in aging and in neurodegenerative processes; however, has so far no one established any direct link between alterations in KP and these factors. In this review, we describe each kynurenine remarking their redox properties, their effects in experimental models, their alterations in the aging process.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Neuroquímica, Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía Manuel Velasco Suárez, S.S.A., Insurgentes Sur 3877, 14269 México, DF, Mexico ; Área de Neurociencias, Departamento de Biología de la Reproducción, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa, 09340 México, DF, Mexico.
authors.forename: Jazmin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Reyes Ocampo
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Neuroquímica, Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía Manuel Velasco Suárez, S.S.A., Insurgentes Sur 3877, 14269 México, DF, Mexico.
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lugo Huitrón
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Neuroquímica, Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía Manuel Velasco Suárez, S.S.A., Insurgentes Sur 3877, 14269 México, DF, Mexico.
authors.forename: Dinora
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: González-Esquivel
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Neuroquímica, Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía Manuel Velasco Suárez, S.S.A., Insurgentes Sur 3877, 14269 México, DF, Mexico.
authors.forename: Perla
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ugalde-Muñiz
authors.affiliation: Área de Neurociencias, Departamento de Biología de la Reproducción, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa, 09340 México, DF, Mexico.
authors.forename: Anabel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jiménez-Anguiano
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Neuroinmunología, Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía Manuel Velasco Suárez, S.S.A., 14269 México, DF, Mexico.
authors.forename: Benjamín
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pineda
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 04510 México, DF, Mexico.
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pedraza-Chaverri
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Neuroquímica, Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía Manuel Velasco Suárez, S.S.A., Insurgentes Sur 3877, 14269 México, DF, Mexico.
authors.forename: Camilo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ríos
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Neuroquímica, Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía Manuel Velasco Suárez, S.S.A., Insurgentes Sur 3877, 14269 México, DF, Mexico.
authors.forename: Verónica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pérez de la Cruz
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007737:Kynurenine / Q000378:metabolism*; D053858:Metabolic Networks and Pathways; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000378:metabolism*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction
chemical_list: D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D007737:Kynurenine