Tenório Micaely Cristina Dos Santos, Graciliano Nayara Gomes, Moura Fabiana Andréa, Oliveira Alane Cabral Menezes de, Goulart Marília Oliveira Fonseca
Institute of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Federal University of Alagoas, Maceió 57072-970, Alagoas, Brazil.
Institute of Biological and Health Sciences, Federal University of Alagoas, Maceió 57072-970, Alagoas, Brazil.
Antioxidants (Basel). 2021 Jun 16;10(6):967. doi: 10.3390/antiox10060967.
-acetylcysteine (NAC) is a medicine widely used to treat paracetamol overdose and as a mucolytic compound. It has a well-established safety profile, and its toxicity is uncommon and dependent on the route of administration and high dosages. Its remarkable antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capacity is the biochemical basis used to treat several diseases related to oxidative stress and inflammation. The primary role of NAC as an antioxidant stems from its ability to increase the intracellular concentration of glutathione (GSH), which is the most crucial biothiol responsible for cellular redox imbalance. As an anti-inflammatory compound, NAC can reduce levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukins (IL-6 and IL-1β) by suppressing the activity of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB). Despite NAC's relevant therapeutic potential, in several experimental studies, its effectiveness in clinical trials, addressing different pathological conditions, is still limited. Thus, the purpose of this chapter is to provide an overview of the medicinal effects and applications of NAC to human health based on current therapeutic evidence.
乙酰半胱氨酸（NAC）是一种广泛用于治疗对乙酰氨基酚过量中毒的药物，也是一种黏液溶解剂。它具有公认的安全特性，其毒性并不常见，且取决于给药途径和高剂量。其显著的抗氧化和抗炎能力是用于治疗几种与氧化应激和炎症相关疾病的生化基础。NAC作为抗氧化剂的主要作用源于其增加细胞内谷胱甘肽（GSH）浓度的能力，GSH是负责细胞氧化还原失衡的最关键生物硫醇。作为一种抗炎化合物，NAC可通过抑制核因子κB（NF-κB）的活性来降低肿瘤坏死因子-α（TNF-α）和白细胞介素（IL-6和IL-1β）的水平。尽管NAC具有相关的治疗潜力，但在一些实验研究中，其在针对不同病理状况的临床试验中的有效性仍然有限。因此，本章的目的是基于当前的治疗证据，概述NAC对人类健康的药用效果和应用。
