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Med. Pr. 2003;54(5)

THE ROLE OF GLUTATHIONE AND GLUTATHIONE-RELATED ENZYMES IN ANTIOXIDATIVE PROCESSES

ROLA GLUTATIONU I ENZYMÓW Z NIM ZWIĄZANYCH W PROCESACH ANTYOKSYDACYJNYCH ORGANIZMU

Anna Łukaszewicz-Hussain Z Zakładu Toksykologii Akademii Medycznej w Białymstoku

Abstract

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are produced within cells during oxidative metabolism. ROS are scavenged by both enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant systems. Reduced glutathione, cysteine-containing tripeptide, and glutathione-related enzymes play a key role in antioxidative processes. Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH), an enzyme of pentose phosphate pathway, is responsible for the regeneration of G6PDH, the main cellular reductant. Recent investigations suggest that G6PDH is essential to control intracellular reductive potential by increasing glutathione intracellular level, which in turn decreases the amount of ROS.

Key words

glutathione, reactive oxygen species, antioxidative processes