Glyteine is a proprietary form of the dipeptide gamma-glutamylcysteine, which is the immediate precursor to the tripeptide, glutathione.

Importance of Glyteine

As the immediate precursor to glutathione, Glyteine is the only nutrient with proven clinical bioavailability to take glutathione well beyond homeostasis within hours of taking a single dose [11].

Glyteine is essential to mammalian life. Mice that have been genetically engineered to not produce glutamate-cysteine ligase (GCL), which is the enzyme responsible for forming cellular Glyteine, do not develop beyond the embryo stage and die before birth [5]. This is because Glyteine is vital for the biosynthesis of glutathione. Since the production of cellular Glyteine in humans slows down with age, it has been postulated that supplementation with Glyteine could offer health benefits. Other benefits of Glyteine supplementation may extend to situations where glutathione has been acutely lowered below optimum. These include strenuous exercise, during trauma, episodes of poisoning, exposure to toxins or other events that result in oxidative stress.

Several review articles have been published regarding the potential benefits of Glyteine to replenish glutathione in age-related [6] and chronic diseases[7]. Glyteine is also a powerful antioxidant in its own right [8-10].

A human clinical study in healthy, non-fasting adults demonstrated that orally administered Glyteine can significantly increase lymphocyte glutathione levels above basal levels, indicating systemic bioavailability, suggesting it may have therapeutic value in addressing glutathione related conditions [11].

Animal model studies with Glyteine have confirmed its beneficial role in both the reduction of oxidant stress-induced damage in tissues, including the brain [17] and as management of sepsis [18].

 

References

  1. Orlowski, M. and A. Meister, The gamma-glutamyl cycle: a possible transport system for amino acids. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 1970. 67(3): p. 1248-55.
  2. Meister, A. and M.E. Anderson, Glutathione. Annu Rev Biochem, 1983. 52: p. 711-60.
  3. Anderson, M.E. and A. Meister, Transport and direct utilization of gamma-glutamylcyst(e)ine for glutathione synthesis. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America., 1983. 80(3): p. 707-11.
  4. Mårtensson, J., Method for determination of free and total glutathione and γ-glutamylcysteine concentrations in human leukocytes and plasma. Journal of Chromatography B: Biomedical Sciences and Applications, 1987. 420(0): p. 152-157.
  5. Dalton, T.P., et al., Genetically altered mice to evaluate glutathione homeostasis in health and disease. Free Radical Biology and Medicine, 2004. 37(10): p. 1511-1526.
  6. Ferguson, G. and W. Bridge, Glutamate cysteine ligase and the age-related decline in cellular glutathione: The therapeutic potential of γ-glutamylcysteine. Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics, 2016. 593: p. 12-23.
  7. Cao, P., et al., Therapeutic approaches to modulating glutathione levels as a pharmacological strategy in Alzheimer’s disease. Curr Alzheimer Res, 2015. 12(4): p. 298-313.
  8. Quintana-Cabrera, R. and J.P. Bolanos, Glutathione and gamma-glutamylcysteine in the antioxidant and survival functions of mitochondria. Biochemical Society Transactions, 2013. 41: p. 106-110.
  9. Quintana-Cabrera, R., et al., γ-Glutamylcysteine detoxifies reactive oxygen species by acting as glutathione peroxidase-1 cofactor. Nat Commun, 2012. 3: p. 718.
  10. Nakamura, Y.K., M.A. Dubick, and S.T. Omaye, γ-Glutamylcysteine inhibits oxidative stress in human endothelial cells. Life Sciences, 2011(0).
  11. Zarka, M.H. and W.J. Bridge, Oral administration of γ-glutamylcysteine increases intracellular glutathione levels above homeostasis in a randomised human trial pilot study. Redox Biology, 2017. 11: p. 631-636.
  12. Le, T.M., et al., gamma-Glutamylcysteine ameliorates oxidative injury in neurons and astrocytes in vitro and increases brain glutathione in vivo. Neurotoxicology, 2011. 32(5): p. 518-25.
  13. Yang, Y., et al., γ-glutamylcysteine exhibits anti-inflammatory effects by increasing cellular glutathione level. Redox Biology, 2019. 20: p. 157-166.
  14. Wu, G., et al., Glutathione metabolism and its implications for health. Journal of Nutrition, 2004. 134(3): p. 489-92.
  15. Stark, A.A., et al., The role of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase in the biosynthesis of glutathione. Biofactors, 2003. 17(1-4): p. 139-49.
  16. Chandler, S.D., et al., Safety assessment of gamma-glutamylcysteine sodium salt. Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology, 2012. 64(1): p. 17-25.
  17. Braidy, N., et al., The Precursor to Glutathione (GSH), γ-Glutamylcysteine (GGC), Can Ameliorate Oxidative Damage and Neuroinflammation Induced by Aβ40 Oligomers in Human Astrocytes. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, 2019. 11(177).
  18. Yang, Y., et al., γ-glutamylcysteine exhibits anti-inflammatory effects by increasing cellular glutathione level. Redox Biology, 2019. 20: p. 157-166.
  19. Wu, G., et al., Glutathione metabolism and its implications for health. Journal of Nutrition, 2004. 134(3): p. 489-92.
  20. Stark, A.A., et al., The role of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase in the biosynthesis of glutathione. Biofactors, 2003. 17(1-4): p. 139-49.
  21. Chandler, S.D., et al.,Safety assessment of Gamma-glutamylcysteine sodium salt. Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology, 2012. 64(1): p. 17-25.
  22. Braidy, N., et al., The Precursor to Glutathione (GSH), γ-Glutamylcysteine (GAMMA-GLUTAMYLCYSTEINE), Can Ameliorate Oxidative Damage and Neuroinflammation Induced by Aβ40 Oligomers in Human Astrocytes. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, 2019. 11(177).