Abstract
Putrescine, spermine, and spermidine are the important polyamines (PAs), found in all living organisms. PAs are formed by the decarboxylation of amino acids, and they facilitate cell growth and development via different cellular responses. PAs are the integrated part of the cellular and genetic metabolism and help in transcription, translation, signaling, and post-translational modifications. At the cellular level, PA concentration may influence the condition of various diseases in the body. For instance, a high PA level is detrimental to patients suffering from aging, cognitive impairment, and cancer. The levels of PAs decline with age in humans, which is associated with different health disorders. On the other hand, PAs reduce the risk of many cardiovascular diseases and increase longevity, when taken in an optimum quantity. Therefore, a controlled diet is an easy way to maintain the level of PAs in the body. Based on the nutritional intake of PAs, healthy cell functioning can be maintained. Moreover, several diseases can also be controlled to a higher extend via maintaining the metabolism of PAs. The present review discusses the types, important functions, and metabolism of PAs in humans. It also highlights the nutritional role of PAs in the prevention of various diseases.
Highlights
Polyamines (PAs), such as putrescine (PUT), spermine (SPE), and spermidine (SPD), are organic polycationic alkylamines, which are synthesized from L-ornithine or by the decarboxylation of amino acids [1,2,3]
After one decade (1898), Poehl suggested the use of SPE for the treatment of several diseases [8], and in 1924, SPE, SPD, and PUT were synthesized by Rosenheim, which led to the foundation of the modern science of PAs [9]
This inhibitory effect of spermine on the expression of CD11a was further confirmed by supplementing the D,L-alpha-difluoromethylornithine hydrochloride (DFMO) (3 mM) treated Jurkat cells with spermine (500 μM), which had significantly decreased the expression of CD11a to 94.87% ± 3.93%, compared to only DFMO-treated cells, while increasing the methylation of lymphocyte function-associated antigen 1 (LFA-1) gene (ITGAL) promoter area
Summary
Polyamines (PAs), such as putrescine (PUT), spermine (SPE), and spermidine (SPD), are organic polycationic alkylamines, which are synthesized from L-ornithine or by the decarboxylation of amino acids [1,2,3] They are found in all living cells and mammalian cells contain a millimolar concentration of PAs [4]. When cultured cells were treated with an ODC inhibitor such as DFMO, it depleted both SPE and SPD and inhibited viability and proliferation It enhanced apoptosis [46]. Bis(ethyl)norspermine (BENSPM) was used as an analog of SPE, and it was observed that BENSPM depleted PUT, SPD, and SPE by enabling the polyamine catabolic enzymes, such as spermine oxidase and spermidine N1-acetyltransferase It halted cell growth [29,47]
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