Faculty of Pharmacy, Kanazawa University, Japan.
FEBS Lett. 2022 May;596(10):1290-1298. doi: 10.1002/1873-3468.14271. Epub 2022 Jan 10.
Ergothioneine (ERGO) is a naturally occurring food-derived antioxidant. Despite its extremely hydrophilic properties, ERGO is easily absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract and distributed to various organs, including the brain. This is primarily because its entry into brain cells is mediated by the ERGO-specific transporter OCTN1/SLC22A4. Octn1 gene knockout mice do not have ERGO in the brain, due to the absence of OCTN1 in neurons, neural stem cells, and microglia. The existence of OCTN1 and uptake of ERGO into the brain parenchymal cells may suggest that ERGO and its transporter play a pivotal role in brain function. Oral administration of ERGO has antidepressant activities in mice. Furthermore, repeated oral administration of ERGO and ERGO-containing food extract tablets enhance memory function in mice and humans, respectively. ERGO also protects against stress-induced sleep disturbance and neuronal injury induced by amyloid β in rodents. In vitro observations suggest that ERGO benefits brain function through both its antioxidative activity and by promoting neurogenesis and neuronal maturation. This review discusses the possible involvement of ERGO in brain function and its potential therapeutic properties.
ergothioneine (ERGO) 是一种天然存在的食物源性抗氧化剂。尽管 ERGO 具有极强的亲水性，但它很容易从胃肠道吸收，并分布到包括大脑在内的各种器官。这主要是因为 ERGO 进入脑细胞是由 ERGO 特异性转运蛋白 OCTN1/SLC22A4 介导的。由于神经元、神经干细胞和小胶质细胞中缺乏 OCTN1，Octn1 基因敲除小鼠的大脑中没有 ERGO。OCTN1 的存在和 ERGO 进入脑实质细胞的摄取表明，ERGO 和其转运蛋白可能在大脑功能中发挥关键作用。口服 ERGO 在小鼠中具有抗抑郁活性。此外，重复口服 ERGO 和含有 ERGO 的食物提取物片剂分别增强了小鼠和人类的记忆功能。ERGO 还可以预防应激引起的睡眠障碍和淀粉样蛋白β在啮齿动物中引起的神经元损伤。体外观察表明，ERGO 通过其抗氧化活性以及促进神经发生和神经元成熟来有益于大脑功能。本文综述了 ERGO 参与大脑功能的可能性及其潜在的治疗特性。
