N-Acetylcysteine and Its Immunomodulatory Properties in Humans and Domesticated Animals

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 pro...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Antioxidants Vol. 12; no. 10; p. 1867
Main Authors:	Tieu, Sophie, Charchoglyan, Armen, Paulsen, Lauryn, Wagter-Lesperance, Lauri C, Shandilya, Umesh K, Bridle, Byram W, Mallard, Bonnie A, Karrow, Niel A
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	Switzerland MDPI AG 01-10-2023 MDPI
Subjects:	Acetaminophen Acetylcysteine Amino acids Analgesics Animals antioxidant Antioxidants Bioavailability Biofilms Clinical trials cytoprotective Development and progression Dietary supplements Disulfide bonds Domestic animals Domestication Drug dosages Drugs Glutathione Immunomodulation immunomodulatory agent Inflammation Medical research Medicine, Experimental Metabolism Metabolites N-acetylcysteine Oral administration Overdose Oxidative stress Patient safety Pharmacokinetics Plasma Pruritus Review Toxicity Tumor necrosis factor Weaning Canada United States > US antioxidant cytoprotective immunomodulatory agent glutathione oxidative stress N-acetylcysteine
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Summary:	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.
Bibliography:	ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 ObjectType-Review-3 content type line 23
ISSN:	2076-3921 2076-3921
DOI:	10.3390/antiox12101867