Conlay L A, Zeisel S H
Neurosurgery. 1982 Apr;10(4):524-9. doi: 10.1227/00006123-198204000-00021.
Brain function can be affected by the availability of dietary precursors of neurotransmitters. This occurs because the rate-limiting synthetic enzymes are not "saturated" with substrate under normal circumstances. Tyrosine affects catecholaminergic neurons that fire rapidly, whether in the brain stem to decrease blood pressure in hypertension or in the adrenal gland to increase blood pressure in hypotension, and has been used in the treatment of Parkinson's disease and depression. Choline forms acetylcholine and has been used successfully in the treatment of tardive dyskinesia and memory disorders. Tryptophan, which forms serotonin, has been used for chronic pain therapy, sleep disorders, depression, and appetite control. Although these substances may lack the potency of traditionally used agonists, they offer an increase in specificity because the enzymes necessary to convert them to neurotransmitters are found only in neurons. Precursors are also "physiological"; they are consumed as foods and, therefore, should be relatively safe therapeutic agents.
神经递质的膳食前体的可获得性会影响大脑功能。出现这种情况是因为在正常情况下，限速合成酶并未被底物“饱和”。酪氨酸会影响快速放电的儿茶酚胺能神经元，无论是在脑干中降低高血压患者的血压，还是在肾上腺中升高低血压患者的血压，并且已被用于治疗帕金森病和抑郁症。胆碱形成乙酰胆碱，并已成功用于治疗迟发性运动障碍和记忆障碍。色氨酸形成血清素，已被用于慢性疼痛治疗、睡眠障碍、抑郁症和食欲控制。尽管这些物质可能缺乏传统使用的激动剂的效力，但它们具有更高的特异性，因为将它们转化为神经递质所需的酶仅存在于神经元中。前体也是“生理性的”；它们作为食物被消耗，因此应该是相对安全的治疗剂。
