Tieu Sophie, Charchoglyan Armen, Paulsen Lauryn, Wagter-Lesperance Lauri C, Shandilya Umesh K, Bridle Byram W, Mallard Bonnie A, Karrow Niel A
Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada.
Department of Pathobiology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada.
Antioxidants (Basel). 2023 Oct 16;12(10):1867. doi: 10.3390/antiox12101867.
N-acetylcysteine (NAC), an acetylated derivative of the amino acid L-cysteine, has been widely used as a mucolytic agent and antidote for acetaminophen overdose since the 1960s and the 1980s, respectively. NAC possesses antioxidant, cytoprotective, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and mucolytic properties, making it a promising therapeutic agent for a wide range of diseases in both humans and domesticated animals. Oxidative stress and inflammation play a major role in the onset and progression of all these diseases. NAC's primary role is to replenish glutathione (GSH) stores, the master antioxidant in all tissues; however, it can also reduce levels of pro-inflammatory tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-∝) and interleukins (IL-6 and IL-1β), inhibit the formation of microbial biofilms and destroy biofilms, and break down disulfide bonds between mucin molecules. Many experimental studies have been conducted on the use of NAC to address a wide range of pathological conditions; however, its effectiveness in clinical trials remains limited and studies often have conflicting results. The purpose of this review is to provide a concise overview of promising NAC usages for the treatment of different human and domestic animal disorders.
N-乙酰半胱氨酸（NAC）是氨基酸L-半胱氨酸的乙酰化衍生物，自20世纪60年代和80年代以来，分别被广泛用作黏液溶解剂和对乙酰氨基酚过量的解毒剂。NAC具有抗氧化、细胞保护、抗炎、抗菌和黏液溶解特性，使其成为治疗人类和家畜多种疾病的有前景的治疗剂。氧化应激和炎症在所有这些疾病的发生和发展中起主要作用。NAC的主要作用是补充谷胱甘肽（GSH）储备，GSH是所有组织中的主要抗氧化剂；然而，它还可以降低促炎肿瘤坏死因子-α（TNF-α）和白细胞介素（IL-6和IL-1β）的水平，抑制微生物生物膜的形成并破坏生物膜，以及分解黏蛋白分子之间的二硫键。已经进行了许多关于使用NAC来解决广泛病理状况的实验研究；然而，其在临床试验中的有效性仍然有限，并且研究结果常常相互矛盾。本综述的目的是简要概述NAC在治疗不同人类和家畜疾病方面的有前景的用途。
