Prophylactic and Therapeutic Effect of Kynurenine for Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis (EAE) Disease

[摘要] Background: The essential amino acid, tryptophan, is predominantly metabolised through the kynurenine pathway (KP) to generate kynurenine, an aryl-hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) pro-ligand that exerts its effects in a ligand-dependent manner. Interaction between kynurenine and the AhR is an effector mechanism of immunosuppression. We previously found that the KP is involved in multiple sclerosis (MS) disease progression. We postulated that AhR activation by kynurenine might be neuroprotective by encouraging differentiation of Tregs. In this study, we assess both the prophylactic and therapeutic efficiency of kynurenine on disease severity and progression in mice with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an MS model.

[学科分类] 生理学与病理学

[关键词] Tryptophan;kynurenine;kynurenine pathway;aryl-hydrocarbon receptor;ligand;pro-ligand;multiple sclerosis;immunosuppression