Anti-infectious activity of tryptophan metabolites in the L-tryptophan-L-kynurenine pathway

Biol Pharm Bull. 2009 Jan;32(1):41-4. doi: 10.1248/bpb.32.41.

Abstract

To study the anti-infectious effect of a vascular allograft, the antimicrobial activity of tryptophan metabolites mediated by indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase was determined. The growth of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) over 10 h in extracts from post-transplantation vascular allograft was significantly slower than that of extracts from non-transplantation vascular allograft regardless of the presence of tryptophan (p<0.05). When the antimicrobial activity of the tryptophan metabolites in the L-tryptophan-L-kynurenine pathway was examined, 3-hydroxy-DL-kynurenine and alpha-picolinic acid had strong antibacterial activity against MRSA, S. epidermidis, Escherichia coli, and multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa, although antimicrobial activities of anthranilic acid, 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid, and quinolinic acid against them were low. The results showed that, of the tested tryptophan metabolites, 3-hydroxy-DL-kynurenine and alpha-picolinic acid contributed to the anti-infectious effects of the allograft by inhibiting of the growth of microorganisms.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology*
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Indoleamine-Pyrrole 2,3,-Dioxygenase / pharmacology
  • Inhibitory Concentration 50
  • Iron Chelating Agents / pharmacology
  • Kynurenine / analogs & derivatives
  • Kynurenine / metabolism*
  • Kynurenine / pharmacology
  • Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / drug effects*
  • Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / metabolism*
  • Picolinic Acids / pharmacology
  • Time Factors
  • Tryptophan / metabolism*

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Indoleamine-Pyrrole 2,3,-Dioxygenase
  • Iron Chelating Agents
  • Picolinic Acids
  • 3-hydroxykynurenine
  • Kynurenine
  • Tryptophan
  • picolinic acid