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Quinolinic Acid Neurotoxicity in Neurodegeneration

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Quinolinic Acid Neurotoxicity in Neurodegeneration

Introduction

Quinolinic acid (QUIN) is a neuroactive metabolite of the kynurenine pathway, the primary catabolic pathway for the essential amino acid tryptophan in mammals. First characterized in the 1980s as an endogenous excitotoxin, QUIN has emerged as a critical pathogenic factor in multiple neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Huntington's disease (HD), and multiple sclerosis (MS). The recognition that QUIN accumulation contributes substantially to disease progression through multiple mechanisms—excitotoxicity, oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and mitochondrial dysfunction—has made the kynurenine pathway an attractive target for therapeutic intervention.

The kynurenine pathway accounts for approximately 95% of tryptophan metabolism in peripheral tissues and the brain, producing a array of neuroactive metabolites that profoundly influence neuronal function. Under physiological conditions, the pathway generates both neuroprotective (kynurenic acid, KYNA) and neurotoxic (quinolinic acid) metabolites in a carefully balanced system. This balance is disrupted in neurodegenerative conditions, where QUIN production is dramatically upregulated while KYNA levels often remain unchanged or decreased, creating a neurotoxic shift that contributes to disease pathogenesis[@schwarcz2010].

The Kynurenine Pathway: Biochemistry and Physiology

Pathway Overview


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