This is a working overview of thiol group, written for readers who want more than a one-paragraph summary but less than a textbook.
This page was last updated on 2025-11-20 and is reviewed periodically as new material appears.
Several analytical methods can quantify glutathione, including high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with UV or fluorescence detection for separating GSH and GSSG. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) offers higher specificity and sensitivity, often detecting nanomolar concentrations. The enzymatic recycling assay, often called the Tietze method, measures total glutathione by coupling reduction of GSSG to a colorimetric or fluorometric readout. Capillary electrophoresis and electrochemical detection are also used in specialized laboratories. Each method has distinct advantages and limitations regarding throughput, cost, and susceptibility to interference.
Interpreting glutathione measurements requires attention to pre-analytical variables. The GSSG concentration in a sample can rise artificially during storage or processing, making the GSH/GSSG ratio unreliable if not controlled. Reference ranges vary by specimen type, assay, and population, so comparisons across studies are difficult. Plasma glutathione is low and sensitive to hemolysis, while whole blood reflects primarily erythrocyte content. Many studies measure total glutathione rather than the reduced and oxidized forms separately, which limits conclusions about redox status.
Accurate measurement of glutathione begins with careful sample handling. Because GSH oxidizes rapidly to GSSG, samples must be processed quickly or frozen immediately. Acid precipitation with metaphosphoric acid or perchloric acid is common; it lowers pH, precipitates proteins, and helps preserve the reduced form. Chelating agents such as EDTA can limit metal-catalyzed oxidation. For whole blood, hemolysis releases glutathione from erythrocytes, so plasma and serum values differ substantially from whole blood values.
For solid glutathione reagents, storage at low temperature and protection from moisture and light are typical precautions. Aqueous solutions can oxidize over time, and pH affects stability; alkaline conditions generally promote thiol oxidation. Some protocols prepare fresh solutions, while others use antioxidants or chelators to limit metal-catalyzed oxidation. Purity and counterion content can vary among commercial preparations, affecting concentration calculations. Certificates of analysis and validated assays help verify identity and purity.
Measuring glutathione in biological samples requires attention to oxidation, because GSH can convert to GSSG after sample collection. Blood and plasma samples are often treated with acid or alkylating agents to preserve the reduced form. Without stabilization, apparent GSH concentrations can fall while GSSG rises. Differences in sample type, handling delay, and deproteinization method can produce results that are not comparable across studies. Reporting preanalytical details is therefore important for interpreting findings.
Common analytical approaches include enzymatic recycling assays, high-performance liquid chromatography, and mass spectrometry. Enzymatic recycling measures total glutathione after converting GSSG back to GSH, while separation methods can quantify GSH and GSSG separately. Derivatization may be used to improve detection or stability during analysis. LC-MS/MS offers high specificity and can distinguish glutathione from related thiols and adducts. Each method has different sensitivity, throughput, and susceptibility to interference, so method selection depends on the study question and sample matrix.
| Property | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Common analytical method | LC-MS/MS or HPLC | Separation of GSH and GSSG |
| Limit of detection | Nanomolar range | Method dependent |
| Typical sample storage | -80 °C | For biological matrices |
| Common reducing agent | TCEP or DTT | Prevents oxidation during processing |
| Common synonym | Gamma-glutamylcysteinylglycine | Systematic name |
Cells synthesize glutathione through two ATP-dependent enzymatic steps. The first step combines glutamate and cysteine to form gamma-glutamylcysteine, catalyzed by glutamate-cysteine ligase. The second step adds glycine, producing the complete tripeptide, catalyzed by glutathione synthetase. Glutathione itself can inhibit the first enzyme, providing negative feedback when levels are high. Because cysteine is often limiting, its availability influences how quickly the pathway proceeds. These reactions occur in the cytosol, and the resulting glutathione can be distributed to other compartments.
Glutathione functions in redox balance, detoxification, and sulfur amino acid storage. It participates in reactions that help maintain ascorbate and protein thiol status. The molecule serves as a cofactor for several enzymes, including glutathione peroxidases and glutathione S-transferases. These enzymes reduce peroxides and conjugate electrophiles, respectively. Glutathione also contributes to the metabolism of xenobiotics and to the transport of cysteine between tissues. How interorgan transport and tissue-specific regulation shape whole-body pools remains an active area of study.
Quality control for glutathione measurements includes calibration with authenticated standards, internal standards where available, blank correction, and spike recovery checks. Because glutathione can form during sample processing or degrade before analysis, pre-analytical handling is a major source of variability. Interlaboratory comparisons often show differences in reported values due to method-specific calibration and detection principles. Interpretive thresholds are context-dependent, and no single reference range applies across all tissues or matrices. Researchers generally report both reduced and oxidized forms, along with the method and sample handling details.
Quantification of glutathione in biological or food samples commonly uses liquid chromatography coupled to ultraviolet, fluorescence, electrochemical, or mass spectrometric detection. Because the thiol group oxidizes readily, samples are often acidified or derivatized immediately after collection to stabilize reduced glutathione. Enzymatic recycling assays and colorimetric kits offer higher throughput but generally lower specificity than chromatographic methods. Mass spectrometry can distinguish glutathione from related thiols and allow simultaneous measurement of oxidized forms. Reported concentrations depend strongly on sample type, extraction procedure, and analytical platform.
== References == Black, David; Bolton, Geoffrey (2001a). Biographical Register of Members of the Parliament of Western Australia. Vol. One: 1870–1930 (Revised ed.). Parliament House: Parliament of Western Australia. ISBN 0730738140. Hansard Indexes for 1933-1936, "Legislature of Western Australia" "Special (No.19)". Western Australia Government Gazette. 24 April 1933. p. 1933:621. Also 1935:727 (29 March 1935), 1936:684 (13 May 1936), 1936:1113 (23 July 1936) and 1936:1276 (20 August 1936).
Decay modes in parentheses are given for observationally stable nuclides (these and these); they are then those allowed to occur by energy (in the next column), but spontaneous fission (and cluster decay, which is never shown in the tables) are neglected as they should never be observed for these nuclides. Those with multiple significant decay modes have the probability of each decay mode in percent given, in small figures, in parentheses; those less than 0.05% are rounded to zero and omitted, and 100 (>99.5% of observed decays) is not used but replaced by bold unless the only other decays are SF or double beta, assumed to be minority decays if not listed first. If more than one of α, β−, β+/ε, IT is given without numbers or bold, one can assume no experimental data is available. Note that, by widely used convention, β+ (technically positron emission) includes ε, and conversely, if positron emission is energetically possible; the two are never separated on this page.
Both the δDs of sea water and the fractionations associated with hyptophyte biochemistry (εbio) are fairly well understood, so alkenones can be readily used to observe the secondary effect of salinity on δD. There is a well established positive linear correlation between salinity and εl/w, on the order of a ~3‰ change in fractionation per salinity unit. Hypothesized mechanisms for this effect include enrichment of D in intracellular water due to reduced exchange with extracellular water at higher salinity, removal of H from intracellular water due to increased production of solutes to maintain osmotic pressure at higher salinity, and lower haptophyte growth rates at higher salinity Alkenone δDs have been used successfully to reconstruct past salinity changes in the Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea, Panama Basin, and Mozambique Channel. As an extension of salinity, this data was also used to draw further conclusions about ancient environments, such as ancient freshwater flooding events, and the evolution of plankton in response to environmental changes
Calvo Sotelo did not manage to stop the internal crisis of UCD ─ the "critical sector" led by Miguel Herrero y Rodríguez de Miñón and Oscar Alzaga approached Alianza Popular and the "social democratic sector" led by Francisco Fernández Ordóñez approached PSOE ─ which was aggravated by the defeat in the Galician elections of October 1981, in which the centrists were overtaken by Alianza Popular. Calvo Sotelo then tried to recompose the unity of the party by personally assuming the presidency of the party and reshuffling his government, in which the "strong man" became the vice-president Rodolfo Martín Villa, but at the beginning of 1982, the "flight" of deputies to Alianza Popular began. In May, UCD suffered a new setback in the Andalusian autonomic elections, in which the PSOE obtained the absolute majority and Alianza Popular again surpassed UCD in votes. Then Landelino Lavilla took over the presidency of the party but also failed to stop the "bleeding of splits". The Christian Democrats founded a new party, the Partido Demócrata Popular, and even Suárez left UCD to form his own, the Centro Democrático y Social. Faced with this situation, a broken and disbanded party, Calvo Sotelo dissolved the Cortes in August 1982 and called general elections.
=== CITES and species risk === According to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), products made from endangered species can be legally traded after certification. CITES lists the Nile crocodile under Appendix II which means a species that is not necessarily currently endangered, but which is in danger of becoming extinct unless trade in specimens is strictly regulated to prevent uses that threaten its survival. The collection, processing, domestic trading, and exporting of all crocodile products must be controlled. Over catching of this animal has led to the decline of this species in wild populations. Efforts are made to preserve the existing habitat of this species. Crocodiles have been bred in farms since the early twentieth century, where Thai crocodile farming industry is currently the largest in the world. Breeding this animal under captivity is a developing industry in some parts of the world.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
== Texture and taste == Over 33,000 species of fish and many more marine invertebrate species have been identified. Bromophenols, which are produced by marine algae, give marine animals an odor and taste that is absent from freshwater fish and invertebrates. Also, a chemical substance called dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) that is found in red and green algae is transferred into animals in the marine food chain. When broken down, dimethyl sulfide (DMS) is produced, and is often released during food preparation when fresh fish and shellfish are heated. In small quantities it creates a specific smell one associates with the ocean, but in larger quantities gives the impression of rotten seaweed and old fish. Another molecule known as TMAO occurs in fishes and gives them a distinct smell. It also exists in freshwater species, but becomes more numerous in the cells of an animal the deeper it lives, so fish from the deeper parts of the ocean have a stronger taste than species that live in shallow water. Eggs from seaweed contain sex pheromones called dictyopterenes, which are meant to attract the sperm. These pheromones are also found in edible seaweeds, which contributes to their aroma.
===== Neuraminidase (NA) removal of sialic acid ===== Neuraminidase (NA) removal of cytotoxic T lymphocytes from the surface of malignant cells stimulates natural killer cells and cytotoxic T lymphocytes. Increased sialylation levels on the cell membrane have been linked to a heightened potential for invasion and metastasis in cancer cells. This correlation has been observed across various models, including murine, rat, and human, and is associated with the progression of malignancy. Some sialylation inhibitors can make cancer cells less malignant. One possible explanation for the relationship between increased sialylation and a malignant phenotype is that sialylation results in a thick layer of coating on the cell membrane that masks cancer antigens and protects malignant cells from immune surveillance. The activity and cytotoxicity of NK cells is inhibited by the expression of sialic acids on the tumor cell surface. Removal of sialic acid residues from the surface of tumor cells makes them available to NK cells and cytotoxic T lymphocytes and, therefore, reduces their growth potential. Moreover, treating tumor cells with sialidase improves activation of NK cell secretion of IFN-γ. Some paramyxoviruses, including SeV encode and synthesize neuraminidase (sialidase), which can remove sialic acid residues from the surface of malignant cells. Hemagglutinin-neuraminidase (HN) is a single protein that induces hemagglutination and possesses neuraminidase (sialidase) activity. Neuraminidase (NA), a subunit of the HN protein, binds to and cleaves sialic acid from the cell surface.
== Research == A meta-analysis concluded that it was effective and well-tolerated, especially for avoiding weight gain or sexual side effects. Bupropion has been studied limitedly in the treatment of social anxiety disorder.
== Chemistry == The drug is composed of three monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), initially harvested from mice exposed to Ebola virus proteins, that have been chimerized with human constant regions. The components are chimeric monoclonal antibody c13C6 from a previously existing antibody cocktail called "MB-003" and two chimeric mAbs from a different antibody cocktail called ZMab, c2G4, and c4G7. ZMapp is manufactured in the tobacco plant Nicotiana benthamiana in the bioproduction process known as "pharming" by Kentucky BioProcessing, a subsidiary of Reynolds American.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Bremelanotide was first developed by Palatin Technologies, then out-licensed to AMAG Pharmaceuticals Inc. after its approval by the FDA on 21 June 2019. Marked as VyleesiTM, it was primarily designed for both men and women in the form of an intranasal formulation, particularly for treating male erectile dysfunction. However, the research was discontinued and focused on targeting female HSDD in a subcutaneous injection to increase bioavailability. Bremelanotide is usually injected a minimum of 45 minutes before sexual activity. Despite having identical prescription criteria as that of flibanserin, bremelanotide is not recommended for pregnant patients. No trial was tested on pregnant patients. Therefore, patients at childbearing ages are recommended to use contraception continuously during treatment and should discontinue once they become pregnant.
=== Submarine === The use of the term "submarine" or "sub" (after the resemblance of the roll to the shape of a submarine) is widespread in the United States and Canada. Some accounts source the name as originating in New London, Connecticut (near the site of a United States Navy submarine base from 1915 onwards) in the World War II era. Written advertisements from 1940 in Wilmington, Delaware, indicate the term originated prior to the United States entering World War II.
Several times during the 1970s and 1980s, Detroit was named the "arson capital of America", and the city was also repeatedly dubbed the "murder capital of America". Detroit was frequently listed by FBI crime statistics as the "most dangerous city in America" during this time frame. Crime rates in Detroit peaked in 1991 at more than 2,700 violent crimes per 100,000 people. Population decline left abandoned buildings behind that became magnets for the drug trade, arson, and other criminal activity. The city's criminality has pushed tourism away from the city, and several foreign countries even issued travel warnings for the city. Around this period, in the days of the year preceding and including Halloween, Detroit citizens went on a rampage called "Devil's Night". A tradition of light-hearted minor vandalism, such as soaping windows, had emerged in the 1930s, but by the 1980s, it had become, said Mayor Young, "a vision from hell." During the height of the drug era, Detroit residents routinely set fire to houses that were known as popular drug-dealing locations, accusing the city's police of being either unwilling or unable to solve the deep problems of the city. The arson primarily occurred in the inner city, but surrounding suburbs were also often affected. The crimes became increasingly destructive throughout this period. Over 800 fires were set, mostly to vacant houses, in the peak year of 1984, overwhelming the city's fire department.
=== Pharmacokinetics === Dupilumab shows a non-linear rate in regard to the target. Dupilumab is also reported to have a bioavailability of 64%, with the average concentration occurring one week after injection.
=== 1961 === January 3: President Eisenhower severs diplomatic relations with Cuba. January 13: Patrice Lumumba, elected President of the Republic of the Congo (Léopoldville) is assassinated with the support of the CIA in the context of the Congo Crisis January 20: John F. Kennedy becomes President of the United States. January 31: Ham is launched into space as a part of Project Mercury, a mission to successfully place a human into orbit and return them safely. February 4: Angolan nationalists, including communists, begin an insurgency against Portuguese rule. This marked the beginning of the Portuguese Colonial War. February 12: Venera 1 is successfully launched by the Soviet Union with the intention of conducting a flyby mission to Venus. April 12: Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space and first to orbit the Earth when the Soviet Union successfully launches Vostok 1. April 17–19: Bay of Pigs Invasion: A CIA-backed invasion of Cuba by counter-revolutionaries ends in failure. April 21: Sierra Leone becomes independent from the UK under Commonwealth status. May 5: Alan Shepard becomes the first American to go into space when Freedom 7 is launched successfully. May 19: Venera 1 successfully reaches Venus being the first spacecraft to do so, but is unable to transmit any data. May 25: John F. Kennedy announces the US intention to put a man on the Moon – kickstarting Project Mercury, America's first human spaceflight program. June 4: Kennedy meets with Khrushchev in Vienna.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Glutathione oxidizes quickly when cells are disrupted or when samples sit at room temperature. Rapid processing or immediate freezing minimizes the conversion of GSH to GSSG. This step helps ensure that the measured ratio reflects the original biological state.
The Tietze assay is an enzymatic recycling method that measures total glutathione. It uses glutathione reductase to reduce GSSG back to GSH, which then reacts with a chromogen or fluorophore. The reaction cycles repeatedly, amplifying the signal for detection.
Yes, but the choice of blood fraction matters. Plasma or serum contains low glutathione levels and is easily affected by hemolysis. Whole blood mainly reflects the high glutathione content of erythrocytes, so results from different fractions are not directly comparable.
Preanalytical factors such as sample type, time to processing, and stabilization method can change GSH and GSSG amounts. Analytical method and calibration also contribute to variation. Comparing absolute values across studies requires caution.