Progress in research of N-acetylaspartate in central nervous system
10.16438/j.0513-4870.2020-0022
- VernacularTitle:N-乙酰天冬氨酸在中枢神经系统中的研究进展
- Author:
Lin-yu CAO
1
;
Hong-wan DING
1
;
Kai-yun YAO
1
;
Jian-jun ZHANG
1
;
Gui-bin WANG
1
Author Information
1. Beijing Key Laboratory of New Drug Mechanisms and Pharmacological Evaluation Study, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
- Publication Type:Research Article
- Keywords:
italic>N-acetylaspartate;
molecular mechanism;
physiological action;
rug target;
central nervous system
- From:
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica
2020;55(8):1754-1761
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
italic>N-Acetylaspartate (NAA) is a highly abundant brain metabolite. Nowadays, as an important marker reflecting the function of nervous system, NAA is widely used in the results analysis of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H MRS). NAA is synthesized in mitochondria of neurons and metabolized in oligodendrocytes. Additionally, NAA may be converted to the dipeptide N-acetylaspartylglutamate (NAAG), and catabolized into NAA and glutamate in astrocytes. NAA is related to a variety of central nervous system diseases, including Canavan disease, multiple sclerosis, depression, schizophrenia and other mental diseases. Therefore, NAA may be a biomarker of these diseases, and its related enzymes may be used as therapeutic targets for drug screening. Here, we combined the current research on the molecular mechanisms of NAA to reveal the process of NAA generation, metabolism and transport in the brain, explain the possible physiological effects of NAA and discuss its relationship with central nervous system diseases, explore the prospect of NAA in disease prediction and diagnosis, as well as the targeted treatment that may become the breakthrough of refractory diseases.
