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Author Spotlight: Investigating Physiological Functions of Vitamin A Transporters Using HPLC-Based Vitamin A Profiling
Published on: December 27, 2024
Distribution and accumulation of dietary ergothioneine and its metabolites in mouse tissues
Richard Ming Yi Tang1, Irwin Kee-Mun Cheah2, Terry Shze Keong Yew2
1National University of Singapore Graduate School for Integrative Sciences and Engineering, Singapore, Singapore.
Abstract:
L-ergothioneine (ET) is a diet-derived amino acid that accumulates at high concentrations in animals and humans. Numerous studies have highlighted its antioxidant abilities in vitro, and possible cytoprotective capabilities in vivo. We investigated the uptake and distribution of ET in various organs by a highly sensitive and specific liquid chromatography coupled tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) technique, both before and after oral administration of pure ET (35 and 70 mg/kg/day for 1, 7, and 28 days) to male C57BL6J mice. ET primarily concentrates in the liver and whole blood, and also in spleen, kidney, lung, heart, intestines, eye, and brain tissues. Strong correlations were found between ET and its putative metabolites - hercynine, ET-sulfonate (ET-SO3H), and S-methyl ET. Hercynine accumulates in the brain after prolonged ET administration. This study demonstrates the uptake and distribution of ET and provides a foundation for future studies with ET to target oxidative damage in a range of tissues in human diseases.
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