glutathione tagged posts

A Japanese research team has become the first in the world to discover that 2-aminobutyric acid (2-AB) is closely involved in the metabolic regulation of the antioxidant glutathione, and that it can effectively raise levels of glutathione in the body when ingested. Glutathione plays an important role in keeping us healthy. This finding could contribute to the development of new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat various oxidative stress-related conditions including Alzheimer’s, aging, cancer, lifestyle-related diseases, hardened arteries, and rgan damage caused by medicines and toxins.

Glutathione is a major antioxidant component within cells, contributing to the detoxification of foreign substances...

The chemical structure of glutathione, an antioxidant that may help resist the toxins that are an underlying cause of aging. Credit: Graphic courtesy of Oregon State University

OSU researchers have found that a specific detoxification compound, glutathione, helps resist the toxic stresses of everyday life – but its levels decline with age and this sets the stage for a wide range of age-related health problems. A new study also highlighted a compound – N-acetyl-cysteine, or NAC — that is already used in high doses in medical detoxification emergencies. But the researchers said that at much lower levels NAC might help maintain glutathione levels and prevent the routine metabolic declines associated with aging.

Decline of these detoxification pathways are causally linked to cardiovascular dis...

These are brain scans of a representative patient showing Dopamine transporter binding (red) before and after 3-month NAC treatment. Credit: Thomas Jefferson University

n-acetylcysteine (NAC), with strong antioxidant effects, shows potential benefit as part of the management for patients with Parkinson’s disease. Combining clinical evaluations of a patient’s mental and physical abilities with brain imaging studies that tracked the levels of dopamine, the lack of which is thought to cause Parkinson’s, doctors from the Depts of Integrative Medicine, Neurology, and Radiology, at Thomas Jefferson University showed that patients receiving NAC improved on both measures.

Current treatments for Parkinson’s disease are generally limited to temporarily replacing dopamine in the brain as well as some...

Metabolic differences in the small intestine A. Metabolic genes as well as the associated reactions involved in the formation of glutathione (GSH) are presented. B, C Significant differences associated with (B) glycine and (C) glutamine are shown. Red and blue arrows indicate the significantly (Q‐value < 0.05) higher and lower expression of the metabolic genes in CONV‐R mice compared to GF mice, respectively. D. The levels of glycine, glutamine, and cysteine used in the de novo synthesis of the GSH are measured in the hepatic portal vein that conducts blood from the gastrointestinal tract to the liver tissue. *Q‐value < 0.05.

Human intestinal flora regulates the levels of the body’s main antioxidant, glutathione, which fights a host of diseases, new research confirms...