The glutamate residue is linked through its side-chain carboxyl, giving a gamma-glutamyl bond rather than a standard alpha-peptide bond, which is why the molecule resists most intracellular peptidases and is cleaved chiefly by gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase at the cell surface
The ratio of GSH/GSSG can be measured and is a very reliable measure of oxidative stress or how fast we are aging and deteriorating
J Cancer Res
Additional caution or monitoring may be appropriate in research settings involving: Active cancer- or tumor-related research models, where antioxidant-related pathways may influence cellular-response or treatment-response mechanisms Severe asthma or hypersensitivity-prone research models, as rare sensitivity-related observations have been reported in some experimental contexts Sulfur-sensitive research models, due to Glutathione containing a thiol (sulfur-containing) group Complex hepatic-function or detoxification-related investigations, where antioxidant modulation may influence oxidative-stress or liver-related biomarkers Research conditions, research amounts, protocol duration, administration frequency, and concurrent compounds may influence tolerability observations across experimental settings
These include excessive alcohol, which is metabolized through pathways that consume glutathione and generate oxidative stress
[DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar] 36.Kuhn C., 3rd The biochemical pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases: Protease-antiprotease imbalance in emphysema and diseases of the airways
