The kynurenine pathway and parasitic infections that affect CNS function

Neuropharmacology. 2016 Feb 25. pii: S0028-3908(16)30064-8. doi: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2016.02.029. [Epub ahead of print]

Hunt NH¹, Too LK², Khaw LT², Guo J², Hee L², Mitchell AJ², Grau GE², Ball HJ².

The kynurenine pathway of tryptophan metabolism has been implicated in brain function, immunoregulation, anti-microbial mechanisms and pregnancy. Some of these actions are due to depletion of tryptophan and others to the formation of biologically active metabolites. This review focuses on the roles of the kynurenine pathway in host responses during two parasitic diseases of major health and economic importance, malaria and toxoplasmosis, with an emphasis on their impacts on CNS function.
Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

KEYWORDS:

Malaria; Toxoplasma; cerebral malaria; indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase; interferon-γ; kynurenine pathway; tryptophan

PMID:

26924710

[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]