Hipkiss Alan R
Centre for Experimental Therapeutics, William Harvey Research Institute, Barts' and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, UK.
Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2006 May;1067:369-74. doi: 10.1196/annals.1354.052.
Carnosine (beta-alanyl-L-histidine) is found exclusively in animal tissues. Carnosine has the potential to suppress many of the biochemical changes (e.g., protein oxidation, glycation, AGE formation, and cross-linking) that accompany aging and associated pathologies. Glycation, generation of advanced glycosylation end-products (AGEs), and formation of protein carbonyl groups play important roles in aging, diabetes, its secondary complications, and neurodegenerative conditions. Due to carnosine's antiglycating activity, reactivity toward deleterious carbonyls, zinc- and copper-chelating activity and low toxicity, carnosine and related structures could be effective against age-related protein carbonyl stress. It is suggested that carnivorous diets could be beneficial because of their carnosine content, as the dipeptide has been shown to suppress some diabetic complications in mice. It is also suggested that carnosine's therapeutic potential should be explored with respect to neurodegeneration. Olfactory tissue is normally enriched in carnosine, but olfactory dysfunction is frequently associated with neurodegeneration. Olfactory administration of carnosine could provide a direct route to compromised tissue, avoiding serum carnosinases.
肌肽（β-丙氨酰-L-组氨酸）仅存在于动物组织中。肌肽有可能抑制许多伴随衰老及相关病理过程的生化变化（如蛋白质氧化、糖基化、晚期糖基化终产物形成和交联）。糖基化、晚期糖基化终产物（AGEs）的生成以及蛋白质羰基基团的形成在衰老、糖尿病及其并发症和神经退行性疾病中起重要作用。由于肌肽的抗糖基化活性、对有害羰基的反应性、锌和铜螯合活性以及低毒性，肌肽及其相关结构可能对与年龄相关的蛋白质羰基应激有效。有人认为，肉食性饮食可能因其肌肽含量而有益，因为已证明这种二肽可抑制小鼠的一些糖尿病并发症。还有人认为，应探索肌肽在神经退行性变方面的治疗潜力。嗅觉组织通常富含肌肽，但嗅觉功能障碍常与神经退行性变相关。经嗅觉给予肌肽可为受损组织提供直接途径，避免血清肌肽酶的影响。
