Food and Drug Toxicology Research Center, National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad 500007, India.
Neurotoxicology. 2013 Jan;34:269-74. doi: 10.1016/j.neuro.2012.11.004. Epub 2012 Nov 21.
Neurolathyrism is associated with a complex pattern of alterations in the glutamatergic system of the cortical motor region of brain. It is a neurological disorder consorted with excessive consumption of Lathyrus sativus (Grass pea), comprising large amounts of the neurotoxin, β-N-oxalyl-L-α,β-diaminopropionic acid (ODAP). ODAP being a potent agonist of ionotropic glutamate receptors enhances their activity and also blocks the astrocytic glutamate/cystine transporters, abutting the neurons. This leads to the sustained increase in the concentration of Glutamate in the synapse which triggers excitotoxicity. L. sativus also contains high levels of arginine and homoarginine which are natural substrates of nitric oxide production, when NO levels increases, it forms peroxynitrite radicals which cause irreparable damage to mitochondria and cellular macromolecules leading to motor neuron degeneration. This review brings together all the molecular events reported so far, emphasizing on the possible role of glutamate and nitric oxide mediated cell death.
神经豆中毒与大脑皮质运动区谷氨酸能系统的一系列复杂改变有关。它是一种神经系统疾病，与大量摄入含神经毒素β-N-草酰基-L-α，β-二氨基丙酸（ODAP）的兵豆（Lathyrus sativus，俗称野豌豆）有关。ODAP 是离子型谷氨酸受体的有效激动剂，能增强其活性，同时阻断毗邻神经元的星形胶质细胞谷氨酸/胱氨酸转运体。这会导致突触中谷氨酸浓度持续增加，引发兴奋性毒性。兵豆还含有高水平的精氨酸和同型精氨酸，它们是一氧化氮产生的天然底物。当 NO 水平升高时，会形成过氧亚硝酸盐自由基，对线粒体和细胞大分子造成不可逆转的损伤，导致运动神经元变性。这篇综述汇集了迄今为止报道的所有分子事件，强调了谷氨酸和一氧化氮介导的细胞死亡的可能作用。
