The Role of Zinc in the Development of Vascular Dementia and Parkinson's Disease and the Potential of Carnosine as Their Therapeutic Agent

• Published in: Biomedicines Vol. 12; no. 6; p. 1296
• Main Authors: Mizuno, Dai, Kawahara, Masahiro, Konoha-Mizuno, Keiko, Hama, Ryoji, Ogawara, Terumasa
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 11-06-2024; MDPI
• Subjects: Amino acids; Anguilla japonica; Apoptosis; Binswanger's disease; Carnosine; Cell death; Cytotoxicity; Dementia; Dementia disorders; Diet therapy; Disease; Diseases; Dopamine; endoplasmic reticulum stress; Enzymes; Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid; Genes; Health aspects; Homeostasis; Hypothalamus; Ischemia; Japan; Kinases; Molecular modelling; Movement disorders; Neurodegenerative diseases; Neurotoxicity; Older people; Oxidative stress; Parkinson's disease; Pathogenesis; Physiological aspects; Proteins; Review; Sexually transmitted diseases; STD; synapse; Synaptogenesis; Therapeutic applications; Transcription factors; Vascular dementia; Zinc; Japan; carnosine; vascular dementia; apoptosis; synapse; zinc; Parkinson’s disease; endoplasmic reticulum stress
• ISSN: 2227-9059; 2227-9059
• DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines12061296

Synaptic zinc ions (Zn
) play an important role in the development of vascular dementia (VD) and Parkinson's disease (PD). In this article, we reviewed the current comprehension of the Zn
-induced neurotoxicity that leads to the pathogenesis of these neuronal diseases. Zn
-induced neurotoxicity was investigated by using immortalised hypothalamic neurons (GT1-7 cells). This cell line is useful for the development of a rapid and convenient screening system for investigating Zn
-induced neurotoxicity. GT1-7 cells were also used to search for substances that prevent Zn
-induced neurotoxicity. Among the tested substances was a protective substance in the extract of Japanese eel (
), and we determined its structure to be like carnosine (β-alanylhistidine). Carnosine may be a therapeutic drug for VD and PD. Furthermore, we reviewed the molecular mechanisms that involve the role of carnosine as an endogenous protector and its protective effect against Zn
-induced cytotoxicity and discussed the prospects for the future therapeutic applications of this dipeptide for neurodegenerative diseases and dementia.