Augmentation of human and rat lenticular glutathione in vitro by prodrugs of γ-L-glutamyl-L-cysteine

HT Nagasawa, JF Cohen, AM Holleschau…

Index: Nagasawa, Herbert T.; Cohen, Jonathan F.; Holleschau, Ann M.; Rathbun, William B. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 1996 , vol. 39, # 8 p. 1676 - 1681

Full Text: HTML

Citation Number: 14

Abstract

A marked age-related decrease in glutathione (GSH) levels as well as depression of γ- glutamylcysteine synthetase activity are factors that are believed to render the aged lens more susceptible to oxidative stress and, therefore, to cataractogenesis. Providing γ-l- glutamyl-l-cysteine, the dipeptide precursor of GSH, would effectively bypass the compromised first step in its biosynthesis and should protect the lens from GSH depletion. ...