Dietary sources of cytidine include foods with high RNA (ribonucleic acid) content,[3] such as organ meats, brewer's yeast, as well as pyrimidine-rich foods such as beer. During digestion, RNA-rich foods are broken-down into ribosyl pyrimidines (cytidine and uridine), which are absorbed intact.[3] In humans, dietary cytidine is converted into uridine,[4] which is probably the compound behind cytidine's metabolic effects.
Cytidine analogues
A variety of cytidine analogues are known, some with potentially useful pharmacology. For example, KP-1461 is an anti-HIV agent that works as a viral mutagen,[5] and zebularine exists in E. coli and is being examined for chemotherapy. Low doses of azacitidine and its analog decitabine have shown results against cancer through epigenetic demethylation.[6]
Biological actions
In addition to its role as a pyrimidine component of RNA, cytidine has been found to control neuronal-glialglutamate cycling, with supplementation decreasing midfrontal/cerebral glutamate/glutamine levels.[7] As such, cytidine has generated interest as a potential glutamatergicantidepressant drug.[7]
^ abRobert A. Lewis, Michael D. Larrañaga, Richard J. Lewis Sr. (2016). Hawley's Condensed Chemical Dictionary (16th ed.). Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. p. 688. ISBN978-1-118-13515-0.((cite book)): CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
