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Med. Pr. 2004;55(6)

Glutathione: its biosynthesis, inducation agents and concentrations in selected morbid units

Glutation: biosynteza, czynniki indukujące oraz stężenie w wybranych jednostkach chorobowych

Bożena Bukowskabr> Z Katedry Biofizyki Skażeń środowiska Uniwersytetu Łódzkiego

Abstract

Glutathione (GSH) is in a constant state of metabolic turnover. Because it is actively synthesized, it also must be degraded. In the first step of GSH synthesis, an amide linkage is formed between cysteine and glutamate catalyzed by g-glutamylcysteine synthetase. GSH synthetase catalyzes the reaction between amine residue of glycine and the cysteine carboxyl from g-glutamylcysteine dipeptide to form GSH. GSH is transported out of the cell and degraded by the membrane-bound enzyme gGT, which removes theg-glutamyl moiety, and by dipeptidases, which remove the glycine moiety. Glutathione is present in most of the plants and animals' tissues that constitute human diet. Thiol redox cycles play central roles in the antioxidant defense network. Lipoate and vitamines and other reducing factors affect the increase in glutathione concentrations in cells by ther rise of the concentrations of reduced cysteine. The level of GSH in humans may be incresed by taking different glutathione monoester (drug) or factorsreducing cystyne to cysteine and increasing availability of this aminoacid to GSH synthesis. GSH plays a critical role in cellular mechanisms that lead to cell death. The cancer cells resistant to apoptosis have higher intracellular GSH levels. The factthat numerous diseases are induced by RFT (that cause glutathione depletion) it seems that an in-depth study of the dietetic and pharmacological manners of manipulation of the GSH amount and availability may become in future a tool of great importance in the prevention of many illnesses.

Key words

Glutathione (GSH) is in a constant state of metabolic turnover. Because it is actively synthesized, it also must be degraded. In the first step of GSH synthesis, an amide linkage is formed between cysteine and glutamate catalyzed by g-glutamylcystein