Category: amino-acid
Aliases: N-Acetylcysteine, N-Acetyl-L-cysteine
Deacetylated in enterocytes/liver to cysteine — the rate-limiting substrate for glutathione (γGlu-Cys-Gly) synthesis. Also acts directly as a free-thiol antioxidant and disrupts disulfide bonds in airway mucin glycoproteins (mucolytic action). Clinically the antidote for acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity by restoring hepatic GSH consumed in NAPQI detoxification.
PO: 6h, IV: 6h