Sarcosine

Last Updated: September 28 2022

Sarcosine is a product of glycine. It can be used as a cognitive enhancer and to treat schizophrenia.

Sarcosine is most often used for

Summary

Sarcosine, also known as N-methylglycine, is a metabolite of glycine. It shares properties with both glycine and D-serine, though its effects are weaker.

Sarcosine supplementation can be used to alleviate symptoms of depression and schizophrenia, or improve cognition. It is absorbed more reliably by the body than D-serine, which can also treat similar conditions.

Sarcosine is being investigated for its connection to prostate cancer. It may be a biomarker for prostate cancer, which means that if sarcosine levels in the blood are higher than normal, it could be an indicator of prostate cancer. This doesn’t mean that sarcosine itself causes cancer. More research is needed to confirm this relationship.

Sarcosine’s main mechanism involves inhibiting a transporter, called GlyT1, which takes up glycine and D-serine into cells. This increases the levels of glycine and D-serine in the body and increases their effects.

It is unknown at this time if sarcosine supplementation is harmful. It may act as a co-carcinogen, meaning it doesn’t cause cancer, but increases the effects of other cancer-causing compounds.

What else is Sarcosine known as?
Note that Sarcosine is also known as:
  • N-methylgycine
  • Methylglycine
Sarcosine should not be confused with:
Dosage information

The standard sarcosine dose is 30mg/kg of bodyweight, which correlates to an approximate dosage range of 2,045 – 2,727mg for people between 150 – 200 lbs.

Sarcosine is taken daily.

Supplements Demystified: Get Our Unbiased, Evidence-Based Guide

Examine Database: Sarcosine
What works and what doesn't?

Unlock the full potential of Examine

Get started

Don't miss out on the latest research

References
2.^Kerr SJCompeting methyltransferase systemsJ Biol Chem.(1972 Jul 10)
5.^Bergeron F, Otto A, Blache P, Day R, Denoroy L, Brandsch R, Bataille DMolecular cloning and tissue distribution of rat sarcosine dehydrogenaseEur J Biochem.(1998 Nov 1)
7.^Cook RJ, Wagner CGlycine N-methyltransferase is a folate binding protein of rat liver cytosolProc Natl Acad Sci U S A.(1984 Jun)
8.^Heady JE, Kerr SJPurification and characterization of glycine N-methyltransferaseJ Biol Chem.(1973 Jan 10)
9.^Rowling MJ, McMullen MH, Chipman DC, Schalinske KLHepatic glycine N-methyltransferase is up-regulated by excess dietary methionine in ratsJ Nutr.(2002 Sep)
11.^Jentzmik F, Stephan C, Miller K, Schrader M, Erbersdobler A, Kristiansen G, Lein M, Jung KSarcosine in urine after digital rectal examination fails as a marker in prostate cancer detection and identification of aggressive tumoursEur Urol.(2010 Jul)
12.^Gray JA, Roth BLThe pipeline and future of drug development in schizophreniaMol Psychiatry.(2007 Oct)
18.^Eulenburg V, Armsen W, Betz H, Gomeza JGlycine transporters: essential regulators of neurotransmissionTrends Biochem Sci.(2005 Jun)
19.^López-Corcuera B, Martínez-Maza R, Núñez E, Roux M, Supplisson S, Aragón CDifferential properties of two stably expressed brain-specific glycine transportersJ Neurochem.(1998 Nov)
21.^Mallorga PJ, Williams JB, Jacobson M, Marques R, Chaudhary A, Conn PJ, Pettibone DJ, Sur CPharmacology and expression analysis of glycine transporter GlyT1 with {3H}-(N-{3-(4'-fluorophenyl)-3-(4'phenylphenoxy)propyl})sarcosineNeuropharmacology.(2003 Oct)
22.^Zhang HX, Lyons-Warren A, Thio LLThe glycine transport inhibitor sarcosine is an inhibitory glycine receptor agonistNeuropharmacology.(2009 Oct-Nov)
23.^Moskal JR, Kuo AG, Weiss C, Wood PL, O'Connor Hanson A, Kelso S, Harris RB, Disterhoft JFGLYX-13: a monoclonal antibody-derived peptide that acts as an N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor modulatorNeuropharmacology.(2005 Dec)
24.^Burgdorf J, Zhang XL, Weiss C, Matthews E, Disterhoft JF, Stanton PK, Moskal JRThe N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor modulator GLYX-13 enhances learning and memory, in young adult and learning impaired aging ratsNeurobiol Aging.(2011 Apr)
25.^Tsai G, Ralph-Williams RJ, Martina M, Bergeron R, Berger-Sweeney J, Dunham KS, Jiang Z, Caine SB, Coyle JTGene knockout of glycine transporter 1: characterization of the behavioral phenotypeProc Natl Acad Sci U S A.(2004 Jun 1)
26.^Yee BK, Balic E, Singer P, Schwerdel C, Grampp T, Gabernet L, Knuesel I, Benke D, Feldon J, Mohler H, Boison DDisruption of glycine transporter 1 restricted to forebrain neurons is associated with a procognitive and antipsychotic phenotypic profileJ Neurosci.(2006 Mar 22)
27.^Shimazaki T, Kaku A, Chaki SD-Serine and a glycine transporter-1 inhibitor enhance social memory in ratsPsychopharmacology (Berl).(2010 Apr)
30.^Olney JW, Farber NBGlutamate receptor dysfunction and schizophreniaArch Gen Psychiatry.(1995 Dec)
31.^Lindsley CW, Shipe WD, Wolkenberg SE, Theberge CR, Williams DL Jr, Sur C, Kinney GGProgress towards validating the NMDA receptor hypofunction hypothesis of schizophreniaCurr Top Med Chem.(2006)
32.^Coyle JTThe glutamatergic dysfunction hypothesis for schizophreniaHarv Rev Psychiatry.(1996 Jan-Feb)
34.^Allen RM, Young SJPhencyclidine-induced psychosisAm J Psychiatry.(1978 Sep)
35.^Hashimoto K, Fukushima T, Shimizu E, Komatsu N, Watanabe H, Shinoda N, Nakazato M, Kumakiri C, Okada S, Hasegawa H, Imai K, Iyo MDecreased serum levels of D-serine in patients with schizophrenia: evidence in support of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor hypofunction hypothesis of schizophreniaArch Gen Psychiatry.(2003 Jun)
36.^Hashimoto KGlycine transport inhibitors for the treatment of schizophreniaOpen Med Chem J.(2010 May 27)
37.^Bergeron R, Meyer TM, Coyle JT, Greene RWModulation of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor function by glycine transportProc Natl Acad Sci U S A.(1998 Dec 22)
38.^Aragón C, López-Corcuera BGlycine transporters: crucial roles of pharmacological interest revealed by gene deletionTrends Pharmacol Sci.(2005 Jun)
40.^Smith KE, Borden LA, Hartig PR, Branchek T, Weinshank RLCloning and expression of a glycine transporter reveal colocalization with NMDA receptorsNeuron.(1992 May)
41.^Zafra F, Gomeza J, Olivares L, Aragón C, Giménez CRegional distribution and developmental variation of the glycine transporters GLYT1 and GLYT2 in the rat CNSEur J Neurosci.(1995 Jun 1)
43.^Zafra F, Aragón C, Giménez CMolecular biology of glycinergic neurotransmissionMol Neurobiol.(1997 Jun)
47.^Lane HY, Huang CL, Wu PL, Liu YC, Chang YC, Lin PY, Chen PW, Tsai GGlycine transporter I inhibitor, N-methylglycine (sarcosine), added to clozapine for the treatment of schizophreniaBiol Psychiatry.(2006 Sep 15)
48.^Tsai GE, Yang P, Chung LC, Tsai IC, Tsai CW, Coyle JTD-serine added to clozapine for the treatment of schizophreniaAm J Psychiatry.(1999 Nov)
50.^Tsai G, Yang P, Chung LC, Lange N, Coyle JTD-serine added to antipsychotics for the treatment of schizophreniaBiol Psychiatry.(1998 Dec 1)
51.^Heresco-Levy U, Javitt DC, Ermilov M, Mordel C, Silipo G, Lichtenstein MEfficacy of high-dose glycine in the treatment of enduring negative symptoms of schizophreniaArch Gen Psychiatry.(1999 Jan)
53.^van Berckel BN, Hijman R, van der Linden JA, Westenberg HG, van Ree JM, Kahn RSEfficacy and tolerance of D-cycloserine in drug-free schizophrenic patientsBiol Psychiatry.(1996 Dec 15)
54.^Heresco-Levy U, Ermilov M, Shimoni J, Shapira B, Silipo G, Javitt DCPlacebo-controlled trial of D-cycloserine added to conventional neuroleptics, olanzapine, or risperidone in schizophreniaAm J Psychiatry.(2002 Mar)
56.^Huang CC, Wei IH, Huang CL, Chen KT, Tsai MH, Tsai P, Tun R, Huang KH, Chang YC, Lane HY, Tsai GEInhibition of Glycine Transporter-I as a Novel Mechanism for the Treatment of DepressionBiol Psychiatry.(2013 Apr 2)
57.^Otte DM, Barcena de Arellano ML, Bilkei-Gorzo A, Albayram O, Imbeault S, Jeung H, Alferink J, Zimmer AEffects of Chronic D-Serine Elevation on Animal Models of Depression and Anxiety-Related BehaviorPLoS One.(2013 Jun 21)
58.^Yang FY, Lee YS, Cherng CG, Cheng LY, Chang WT, Chuang JY, Kao GS, Yu LD-cycloserine, sarcosine and D-serine diminish the expression of cocaine-induced conditioned place preferenceJ Psychopharmacol.(2013 Jun)
59.^Sreekumar A, Poisson LM, Rajendiran TM, Khan AP, Cao Q, Yu J, Laxman B, Mehra R, Lonigro RJ, Li Y, Nyati MK, Ahsan A, Kalyana-Sundaram S, Han B, Cao X, Byun J, Omenn GS, Ghosh D, Pennathur S, Alexander DC, Berger A, Shuster JR, Wei JT, Varambally S, Beecher C, Chinnaiyan AMMetabolomic profiles delineate potential role for sarcosine in prostate cancer progressionNature.(2009 Feb 12)
60.^Khan AP, Rajendiran TM, Ateeq B, Asangani IA, Athanikar JN, Yocum AK, Mehra R, Siddiqui J, Palapattu G, Wei JT, Michailidis G, Sreekumar A, Chinnaiyan AMThe role of sarcosine metabolism in prostate cancer progressionNeoplasia.(2013 May)
61.^Jentzmik F, Stephan C, Lein M, Miller K, Kamlage B, Bethan B, Kristiansen G, Jung KSarcosine in prostate cancer tissue is not a differential metabolite for prostate cancer aggressiveness and biochemical progressionJ Urol.(2011 Feb)
64.^Bianchi F, Dugheri S, Musci M, Bonacchi A, Salvadori E, Arcangeli G, Cupelli V, Lanciotti M, Masieri L, Serni S, Carini M, Careri M, Mangia AFully automated solid-phase microextraction-fast gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method using a new ionic liquid column for high-throughput analysis of sarcosine and N-ethylglycine in human urine and urinary sedimentsAnal Chim Acta.(2011 Nov 30)
65.^Lucarelli G, Fanelli M, Larocca AM, Germinario CA, Rutigliano M, Vavallo A, Selvaggi FP, Bettocchi C, Battaglia M, Ditonno PSerum sarcosine increases the accuracy of prostate cancer detection in patients with total serum PSA less than 4.0 ng/mlProstate.(2012 Nov)
66.^Bohm L, Serafin AM, Fernandez P, Van der Watt G, Bouic PJ, Harvey JPlasma sarcosine does not distinguish early and advanced stages of prostate cancerS Afr Med J.(2012 Jun 28)
67.^Slamon DJ, Clark GM, Wong SG, Levin WJ, Ullrich A, McGuire WLHuman breast cancer: correlation of relapse and survival with amplification of the HER-2/neu oncogeneScience.(1987 Jan 9)
68.^Slamon DJ, Godolphin W, Jones LA, Holt JA, Wong SG, Keith DE, Levin WJ, Stuart SG, Udove J, Ullrich A, et alStudies of the HER-2/neu proto-oncogene in human breast and ovarian cancerScience.(1989 May 12)
69.^Shi Y, Brands FH, Chatterjee S, Feng AC, Groshen S, Schewe J, Lieskovsky G, Cote RJHer-2/neu expression in prostate cancer: high level of expression associated with exposure to hormone therapy and androgen independent diseaseJ Urol.(2001 Oct)
71.^Dahl M, Bouchelouche P, Kramer-Marek G, Capala J, Nordling J, Bouchelouche KSarcosine induces increase in HER2/neu expression in androgen-dependent prostate cancer cellsMol Biol Rep.(2011 Oct)
72.^Cernei N, Zitka O, Skalickova S, Gumulec J, Sztalmachova M, Rodrigo MA, Sochor J, Masarik M, Adam V, Hubalek J, Trnkova L, Kruseova J, Eckschlager T, Kizek REffect of sarcosine on antioxidant parameters and metallothionein content in the PC-3 prostate cancer cell lineOncol Rep.(2013 Jun)
75.^Liu SP, Li YS, Chen YJ, Chiang EP, Li AF, Lee YH, Tsai TF, Hsiao M, Huang SF, Chen YMGlycine N-methyltransferase-/- mice develop chronic hepatitis and glycogen storage disease in the liverHepatology.(2007 Nov)