Pre- and postnatal exposure to kynurenine causes cognitive deficits in adulthood.

ABSTRACT: Levels of kynurenic acid (KYNA), an endogenous product of tryptophan degradation, are elevated in the brain and cerebrospinal fluid of individuals with schizophrenia (SZ). This increase has been implicated in the cognitive dysfunctions seen in the disease, as KYNA is an antagonist of the α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor and the N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor, both of which are critically involved in cognitive processes and in a defining neurodevelopmental period in the pathophysiology of SZ. We tested the hypothesis that early developmental increases in brain KYNA synthesis might cause biochemical and functional impairments in adulthood. To this end, we stimulated KYNA formation by adding the KYNA precursor kynurenine (100 mg/day) to the chow fed to rat dams from gestational day 15 to po

SUBMITTER: Pocivavsek A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3773083 | biostudies-literature | 2012 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature