Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, 60800, Pakistan.
Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, 60800, Pakistan.
Metab Brain Dis. 2023 Mar;38(3):983-997. doi: 10.1007/s11011-022-01143-w. Epub 2022 Dec 12.
L-Cysteine (L-Cys) is a semi-essential amino acid. It serves as a substrate for enzyme cystathionine-β-synthase in the central nervous system (CNS). L-Cys showed various antioxidant characteristics. Though, studies on the effect of free L-Cys administration to evaluate the CNS functioning is very limited. Therefore, we assessed the effects of L-Cys on corticosterone (CORT) induced oxidative stress, behavioral deficits and memory impairment in male rats. L-Cys (150 mg/kg/ml) administered to vehicle and CORT (20 mg/kg/ml) treated rats orally for 28 days. Behavioral activities were conducted after treatment period. Subsequently, rats were sacrificed, blood and brain were removed. Hippocampus was isolated from brain and then hippocampus and plasma were collected for oxidative, biochemical and neurochemical analysis. Results showed that repeated treatment of L-Cys produced antidepressant, anxiolytic and memory-improving effects which may be ascribed to the enhanced antioxidant profile, normalized cholinergic, serotonergic neurotransmission in brain (hippocampus) following CORT administration. Increased plasma CORT by CORT administration was also normalized by L-Cys. The current study concluded that administration of free L-Cys improved the behavioral, biochemical, neurochemical and redox status of CNS. Hence, L-Cys could be protective therapeutic modulator against stress induced neurological ailments.
L-半胱氨酸（L-Cys）是一种半必需氨基酸。它作为酶胱硫醚-β-合酶在中枢神经系统（CNS）中的底物。L-Cys 具有多种抗氧化特性。尽管如此，关于给予游离 L-Cys 以评估 CNS 功能的研究非常有限。因此，我们评估了 L-Cys 对皮质酮（CORT）诱导的氧化应激、行为缺陷和雄性大鼠记忆障碍的影响。L-Cys（150mg/kg/ml）以 28 天的时间通过口服给予载体和 CORT（20mg/kg/ml）处理的大鼠。治疗期后进行行为活动。随后，处死大鼠，取出血液和大脑。从大脑中分离出海马体，然后收集海马体和血浆进行氧化、生化和神经化学分析。结果表明，L-Cys 的重复治疗产生了抗抑郁、抗焦虑和改善记忆的作用，这可能归因于增强的抗氧化特性，以及皮质酮给药后大脑（海马体）中的胆碱能、5-羟色胺能神经传递正常化。皮质酮给药引起的血浆 CORT 升高也被 L-Cys 正常化。本研究得出结论，给予游离 L-Cys 可改善 CNS 的行为、生化、神经化学和氧化还原状态。因此，L-Cys 可能是对抗应激引起的神经疾病的保护性治疗调节剂。
