Glutathione

Overview

The body's principal intracellular antioxidant — a tripeptide of glutamate, cysteine and glycine that neutralizes reactive oxygen species, recycles vitamins C and E, and drives phase-II detoxification in the liver. Studied parenterally in liver disease, Parkinson's disease, chemotherapy neuropathy and skin pigmentation.

Mechanism of action

The cysteine thiol donates electrons to reduce peroxides (via glutathione peroxidase) and conjugates toxins and drug metabolites (via glutathione S-transferases) for excretion. Oxidized glutathione (GSSG) is recycled to GSH by glutathione reductase using NADPH. Also inhibits tyrosinase, shifting melanin synthesis toward lighter pheomelanin.

Research record

• [01]IV glutathione 600 mg twice daily for 30 days in untreated Parkinson's disease (Sechi et al., 1996).
• [02]Randomized, placebo-controlled IV glutathione 1,400 mg three times weekly in Parkinson's disease (Hauser et al., 2009).
• [03]Glutathione 1,500 mg/m² IV before cisplatin reduced neurotoxicity without lowering anti-tumor activity (Smyth et al., 1997).
• [04]Oxaliplatin neuropathy prevention with IV glutathione 1,500 mg/m² (Cascinu et al., 2002).
• [05]Oral glutathione 250–1,000 mg/day raised body glutathione stores over six months (Richie et al., 2015).

Selected references

• Reduced intravenous glutathione in the treatment of early Parkinson's disease

  Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry, 1996

• Randomized, double-blind, pilot evaluation of intravenous glutathione in Parkinson's disease

  Mov Disord, 2009

• Glutathione reduces the toxicity and improves quality of life of women diagnosed with ovarian cancer treated with cisplatin

  Ann Oncol, 1997

• Neuroprotective effect of reduced glutathione on oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy

  J Clin Oncol, 2002

• Randomized controlled trial of oral glutathione supplementation on body stores of glutathione

  Eur J Nutr, 2015