The potential therapeutic effects of ergothioneine in pre-eclampsia

Ergothioneine (ERG), is a water-soluble amino acid that is derived entirely from dietary sources. It has received much attention as a therapeutic agent due to its anti-oxidant properties, and there are claims of preferential accumulation within high oxidative stress organs. Pre-eclampsia, a conditio...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Free radical biology & medicine 2018-03, Vol.117, p.145-157
Main Authors: Kerley, Robert N., McCarthy, Cathal, Kell, Douglas B., Kenny, Louise C.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Antioxidants - pharmacology
Ergothioneine
Ergothioneine - pharmacology
Female
Humans
Oxidative stress
Oxidative Stress - drug effects
Pre-eclampsia
Pre-Eclampsia - metabolism
Pre-Eclampsia - physiopathology
Pregnancy
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Summary:Ergothioneine (ERG), is a water-soluble amino acid that is derived entirely from dietary sources. It has received much attention as a therapeutic agent due to its anti-oxidant properties, and there are claims of preferential accumulation within high oxidative stress organs. Pre-eclampsia, a condition accompanied by increased oxidative stress, is one of the leading causes of maternal morbidity and mortality. Despite intense research efforts, its aetiologies remain somewhat unclear and there are still no effective treatment options. Clinical trials of the anti-oxidants vitamin C and vitamin E have proven largely ineffective with little improvement in clinical outcome or even a negative response. This could be explained in part by their inability to permeate the plasma and mitochondrial membranes and scavenge mitochondria-derived superoxide species, and for the former by the fact that it is actually a pro-oxidant in the presence of unliganded iron. ERG accumulates within tissues through the action of a specific organic cation transporter, SLC22A4 (previously referred to as OCTN1), which is possibly also expressed in mammalian mitochondria. Mitochondrial dysfunction has been implicated in a variety of vascular diseases including pre-eclampsia. This review discusses the use of ERG as a possibly mitochondrial-targeted anti-oxidant, focusing on its physical properties, potential mechanisms of action, safety profile and administration in relation to pregnancies complicated by pre-eclampsia. [Display omitted]
ISSN:0891-5849
1873-4596
DOI:10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2017.12.030