N-acetylcysteine: a potential therapeutic agent against toxicity of pesticides.

N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is a well-known health supplement that acts as a precursor to glutathione and exhibits antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and modulatory activities. Several studies have extensively investigated the biological efficacy of NAC, including its effects on oxidative stress, cellular antioxidants, signal transduction, and structural anomalies caused by xenobiotics, including pesticides. This review summarizes the evidence of the ameliorative potential of NAC against oxidative stress and details its therapeutic potential in alleviating the toxicity of pesticides. Both in vivo and in vitro experiments have shown that NAC exerts its biological efficacy via regulation of TGF-β1/Smad3, MAPK, NF-κB, and PGC-1α/Tfam signaling pathways and rejuvenation of endogenous antioxidants.The present review provides insights into the recent findings and the mechanistic basis of the therapeutic potential of NAC for implementing it as an ameliorative agent against pesticide toxicity.