Affiliations: Laboratory of Nutrition Chemistry, Division of Food Science and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University Kitashirakawa Oiwake-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan
Note: [] Correspondence to: Kazuo Inoue, Laboratory of Nutrition Chemistry, Division of Food Science and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University Kitashirakawa Oiwake-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan. Tel.: +81 75 753 6263; Fax: +81 75 753 6264; E-mail: [email protected]
Abstract: Central fatigue, which is manifested as a feeling of fatigue, is regarded as a kind of biological signal to alert that the ongoing behavior could be hazardous if it is continued. Several mechanisms in the brain that trigger central fatigue have been proposed. Among these mechanisms, fatigue related to the production of TGF-β in the brain is described in this article. The causes of the central fatigue mediated by TGF-β, physical exercise, infection, and impaired energy metabolism are discussed. The relation of chronic fatigue syndrome and TGF-β will be briefly mentioned.
