Decline of ergothioneine in frailty and cognition impairment. Issue 10 (3rd February 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kondoh, Hiroshi; Teruya, Takayuki; Kameda, Masahiro; Yanagida, Mitsuhiro
• Is Part Of: FEBS letters. Volume 596:Issue 10(2022)
• Page Start: 1270
• Page End: 1278
• Publication Date: 2022-02-03
• Subjects: antioxidant -- dementia -- ergothioneine -- frailty -- metabolomics -- sarcopenia -- starvation -- whole blood; Biochemistry -- Periodicals; Biophysics -- Periodicals; Molecular biology -- Periodicals; Biochimie -- Périodiques; Biochemistry; Biophysics; Molecular biology; Periodicals; 572.05
• DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.14299
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0014-5793

Abstract

Abstract : Ergothioneine is a well‐known antioxidant that is abundant in both human red blood cells and in fission yeast responding to nutritional stress. In frail elderly people, whose ageing organs undergo functional decline, there is a correlation between ergothioneine levels and cognitive, but not skeletal muscle decline. In patients suffering from dementia, including Alzheimer's disease with hippocampal atrophy, deteriorating cognitive ability is correlated with declining ergothioneine levels. S‐methyl‐ergothioneine, trimethyl‐histidine and three other trimethyl‐ammonium compounds also decrease sharply in dementia, whereas compounds such as indoxyl‐sulfate and quinolinic acid increase, possibly exacerbating the disease. Using these opposing dementia markers, not only diagnosis, but also therapeutic interventions to mitigate cognitive decline may now become possible. Abstract : Metabolomic analyses revealed that ergothioneine (ERG), a well‐known antioxidant, is abundant in both human red blood cells and in fission yeast, responding strongly to nutritional stress. In frailty and dementia patients, but not in muscle ageing, blood ERG levels decline. ERG may be exploited as a diagnostic marker and as therapeutic agent against these ageing‐relevant diseases. Created with BioRender.