title: Metabolism of N-acetyl-L-cysteine. Some structural requirements for the deacetylation and consequences for the oral bioavailability.
abstract: Rat liver, lung and intestine homogenates deacetylated N-acetyl-L-cysteine. Nearly stoichiometric amounts of L-cysteine were recovered. In rat liver, the enzyme activity was associated with the cytosolic fraction. Liver cytosol was much less active. N-Acetyl-D-cysteine or the disulphide of N-acetyl-L-cysteine were not deacetylated or in other ways consumed in vitro. Isolated, perfused rat liver did not retain or metabolize N-acetyl-L-cysteine to any measurable extent during single-pass experiments. N-Acetyl-L-cysteine or N-acetyl-D-cysteine were injected into a ligated segment of rat intestine in situ. After 1 hr 2% of the L-isomer and 35% of the D-isomer remained in the intestinal lumen. Systemic plasma levels were less than 3 microM of the L-form and congruent to 40 microM of the D-form. We conclude that deacetylation in the intestinal mucosa and possibly in the intestinal lumen is the major factor determining the low oral bioavailability of N-acetyl-L-cysteine. The deacetylation is discussed on the basis of the subcellular localization and the structural requirement of the reaction.
authors.affiliation: AB Draco, Lund, Sweden.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sjödin
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nilsson
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hallberg
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tunek
mesh_terms: D000107:Acetylation; D000111:Acetylcysteine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D000818:Animals; D001682:Biological Availability; D003600:Cytosol / Q000378:metabolism; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006868:Hydrolysis; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism*; D007700:Kinetics; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism*; D008168:Lung / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
chemical_list: D000111:Acetylcysteine