Lab. of Nutritional Biochemistry, Department of Applied Biosciences, Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan.
Pharmacol Res. 2018 Jul;133:215-217. doi: 10.1016/j.phrs.2018.05.014. Epub 2018 May 24.
Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs: leucine, isoleucine, and valine) are essential amino acids for humans and play an important role as the building blocks of proteins. Recent studies have disclosed that free BCAAs in the tissue amino acid pool function not only as substrates for protein synthesis, but also as regulators of protein and energy metabolism. Furthermore, BCAAs are actively used as an amino group donor to synthesize glutamate in the brain. These functions of BCAAs are closely related to human health. This review summarizes the recent findings concerning physiological and pathological roles of free BCAAs in the metabolism and neurological functions.
支链氨基酸（BCAA：亮氨酸、异亮氨酸和缬氨酸）是人体必需的氨基酸，作为蛋白质的构建块发挥着重要作用。最近的研究表明，组织氨基酸池中的游离 BCAA 不仅作为蛋白质合成的底物，还作为蛋白质和能量代谢的调节剂。此外，BCAA 被积极用作脑内合成谷氨酸的氨基供体。这些 BCAA 的功能与人类健康密切相关。本文综述了游离 BCAA 在代谢和神经功能方面的生理和病理作用的最新发现。
