Glutathione attenuates copper levels and alleviates hepatic injury in TX mice

Wilson's disease(WD) is an inherited disorder of abnormal copper metabolism, and promotion of copper ion excretion is the focus of its treatment in the clinic. Glutathione (GSH) is a tripeptide compound whose active group is the sulfhydryl group, which is involved in a number of important biochemical reactions. Thus, its antioxidant and integrative detoxification effects have attracted interest. Whether glutathione promotes copper ion excretion and anti-oxidative stress to alleviate Wilson's disease liver injury is the focus of this study. Here, we used toxic milk(TX) mice as model mice to study Wilson's disease and treated them with glutathione. We observed that glutathione was effective in promoting copper excretion in TX mice. In addition, glutathione has been shown to be effective in attenuating liver injury, including improving the structure and morphology of stem tissue and reducing hepatocyte necrosis. The effects of glutathione on hepatic oxidative stress as measured by catalase, malondialdehyde and total superoxide dismutase. The results showed that glutathione could increase hepatic antioxidant enzyme activities, reduce lipid peroxidation levels and attenuate liver injury. In conclusion, glutathione may exert its hepatic benefits by promoting copper ion excretion and anti-oxidative stress.