Assessment of Beneficial and Possible Toxic Effects of Two New Alfalfa-Derived Shelf Products.

Aerial parts of Medicago sativa L. have been used as food and its consumption has been associated with health benefits, one among the most important being menopausal symptoms control. This work was aimed to explore possible pharmacological effects of two new alfalfa-derived products that have recently emerged as daily beverage preparations.

Expression of the System N transporter (SNAT5/SN2) during development indicates its plausible role in glutamatergic neurotransmission.

Solute neutral amino acid transporter 5 (SNAT5/SN2) is a member of the System N family, expressed in glial cells in the adult brain, able to transport glutamine, histidine or glycine among other substrates. Its tight association with synapses and its electroneutral mode of operation that allows the bidirectional movement of substrates, supports the idea that this transporter participates in the function of the glutamine-glutamate cycle between neurons and glia. Moreover, SNAT5/SN2 might contribute to the regulation of glycine concentration in glutamatergic synapses and, therefore, to the functioning of the N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) subtype of glutamate receptors.

Expression of the SNAT2 amino acid transporter during the development of rat cerebral cortex.

The sodium-coupled neutral amino acid transporter 2 (SNAT2) is a protein that is expressed ubiquitously in mammalian tissues and that displays Na(+), voltage and pH dependent activity. This transporter mediates the passage of small zwitterionic amino acids across the cell membrane and regulates the cell homeostasis and its volume. We have examined the expression of SNAT2 mRNA and protein during the development of the rat cerebral cortex, from gestation through the postnatal stages to adulthood.