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Altered oxidative stress profile in the cortex of mice fed an enriched branched‐chain amino acids diet: Possible link with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis?
Author(s) -
Piscopo P.,
Crestini A.,
Adduci A.,
Ferrante A.,
Massari M.,
Popoli P.,
Vanacore N.,
Confaloni A.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
journal of neuroscience research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.72
H-Index - 160
eISSN - 1097-4547
pISSN - 0360-4012
DOI - 10.1002/jnr.22655
Subject(s) - oxidative stress , valine , leucine , amyotrophic lateral sclerosis , medicine , amino acid , endocrinology , isoleucine , antioxidant , biology , biochemistry , chemistry , disease
Abstract Branched‐chain amino acids (BCAAs), valine, isoleucine, and leucine, are widely used among athletes as dietary integrators. Although the occurrence of untoward effects of BCCA supplementation, with particular regard to neurological disturbances, cannot be excluded, no specific studies have been performed so far. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effects of a diet enriched in BCAAs on the expression of oxidative stress pathway genes in the brain of C57Bl/6J mice. Animals were fed a standard or a BCAA diet for 95 days starting from postnatal day 21 until sacrifice. BCAA treatment, at doses comparable to human usage, significantly down‐regulated the expression of some antioxidant genes, while up‐regulating the expression of some oxygen transporters. In conclusion, it appears that BCAAs administered by diet could alter some specific oxidative stress pathways in the brain. Caution should thus be exercised in the widespread use of BCAAs as dietary integrators in sports practice. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.