Abstract
Acute production of reactive oxygen species by polymorphonuclear neutrophils during the respiratory burst may induce tissue injuries. In thisin vitro study, it was demonstrated that letosteine, a mucolytic agent containing two blocked thiol groups, had antioxidant activity, but only when it was first submitted to alkaline hydrolysis. In a cell-free system, hydrogen peroxide, hypochlorous acid and hydroxyl radical concentrations were reduced by half by letosteine concentrations of 200, 15 and 350 μol/l, respectively. The mechanism of letosteine action may be related to the -SH group liberatedin vitro by hydrolysis, which seemed to react by scavenging the reactive oxygen species in the same way as acetylcysteine and MESNA, freethiol drugs known for their antioxidant properties. So, letosteine, a compound with blocked -SH groups whichin vivo can metabolically become free, may have a therapeutic application in preventing oxidative tissue injury damage induced by the respiratory burst.
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Gressier, B., Lebegue, N., Brunet, C. et al. Scavenging of reactive oxygen species by letosteine, a molecule with two blocked -SH groups. Pharm World Sci 17, 76–80 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01875435
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01875435