The Role of N-Acetylcysteine Treatment on Anti-Oxidative Status in Patients with Type II Diabetes Mellitus

Abstract

The development of diabetic complications has usually been attributed to the nonenzymic glycation of tissue proteins. Only recently, however, have researchers examined the possible role on free radicals in the pathogenesis of diabetes. In the present study, glutathione (GSH) and major antioxidant enzyme levels in plasma of patients with type II diabetes mellitus were assessed both before and after 3 months of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) therapy. Thirty-two diabetic patients were examined as well as fifteen healthy controls. Before treatment with NAC, glutathione peroxidase (GPx), catalase (CAT), and (GSH) levels of diabetic patients and control subjects showed no significant differences, whereas glutathione S-transferase (GST) levels were higher in type II diabetic patients. Following 3 months of Following NAC supplementation, GSH, GST, and CAT levels were found to be similar to the levels before treatment. On the other hand, GPx activity was significantly lower compared with the values before treatment. According to this finding, NAC treatment could have a positive effect on GPx values in type II diabetic patients showing abnormally high values.

Evaluation of prophylactic and therapeutic effects of silymarin andN-acetylcysteine in acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity in cats

“…In those regimens, cats were treated several times with initial up to loading dosage levels of between 140 and 280 mg of NAC ⁄ kg of body weight and later dosage levels of between 70 and 100 mg of NAC ⁄ kg (St Omer and McKnight, 1980;Rumbeiha et al, 1995). The ability of acetylcysteine to provide cysteine, which serves as a precursor for glutathione, has considerably extended as a major therapeutic agent for scavenging free radicals (Ozkilic, et al 2006).…”

“…N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is clinically used to decrease the toxicity of acetaminophen. NAC may protect against oxidative injury by providing cysteine for glutathione biosynthesis or by direct reactions with electrophiles (Shattuck, et al 1998;Ozkilic, et al 2006).…”

Poorly controlled type 1 diabetes is associated with altered glutathione homeostasis in adolescents: apparent resistance toN-acetylcysteine supplementation

“…Supplementation with 1200 mg/d NAC for 1 month increased erythrocyte GSH in patients with type 2 diabetes (2), whereas a 3-month supplementation failed to do so (24). We are not aware of previous studies assessing the effect of NAC on GSH status in vivo in T1DM.…”

Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines, Lipid Metabolism and Inflammation in Gestational Diabetes Mellitus as Cause of Insulin Resistance

“…This mechanism was shown to increase the production of TNF-α, IL-6, and MCP-1, and decrease the production of adiponectin (Barbour et al 2007). Consistent with this, the antioxidant N-acetyl cysteine can reduce ROS and improve insulin resistance in a hyperglycemia-induced model (Pieper et al 1997, Ozkilic et al 2006. Lipid accumulation also activates the unfolded protein response to increase ER stress in fat and liver.…”