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Oxidative stress induces a reversible flux of cysteine from tissues to blood in vivo in the rat
Author(s) -
Giustarini Daniela,
DalleDonne Isabella,
Milzani Aldo,
Rossi Ranieri
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
the febs journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.981
H-Index - 204
eISSN - 1742-4658
pISSN - 1742-464X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1742-4658.2009.07197.x
Subject(s) - glutathione , cysteine , oxidative stress , homocysteine , chemistry , in vivo , methionine , biochemistry , thiol , flux (metallurgy) , cysteine metabolism , oxidative phosphorylation , amino acid , biology , enzyme , organic chemistry , microbiology and biotechnology
Glutathione (GSH) plays a key role in defense against oxidative stress. The availability of GSH is ensured in tissues by systems devoted to its maintenance in the reduced state and by the flux of GSH and cysteine between sites of biosynthesis and sites of utilization. Little is known about the effect of oxidative stress on the distribution of low‐molecular‐mass thiols and their exchange rate between tissues. In this study, we found that a slow infusion of diamide (a specific thiol‐oxidizing compound) evoked a dramatic increase in blood cysteine in rats. Our data suggest that inter‐organ exchange of cysteine occurs, that cysteine derives from both glutathione via γ‐glutamyl transpeptidase and methionine via homocysteine and the trans‐sulfuration pathway, and that these pathways are considerably influenced by oxidative stress.