Glutathione Delivery via Iontophoresis Increases Gluthathione Levels in Blood Samples

Glutathione is a mitochondrial antioxidant, and additional antioxidant capacity in mitochondria appears to be beneficial to long-term health, improving mitochondrial function and overall health. Mitochondria conduct the energetic process of producing ATP, used to power the cell, with a flux of oxidative molecules as a side-effect. With age, mitochondria tend to become less efficient and produce more oxidizing molecules, harmful to the cell. Glutathione levels decline with age, which may contribute to this age-related mitochondrial dysfunction. Oral supplementation with gluthatione doesn't have any effect, unfortunately, but researchers recently published a small study of supplementation with large amounts of glutathione precursors. This caused increased gluthatione manufacture, increased glutathione in blood samples, and measurable benefits to health in old individuals. Here, researchers provide evidence for an iontophoresis approach for the delivery of glutathione through the skin via an electrical field, an intriguing option to be compared against intravenous administration when considering relative costs and benefits. Glutathione (GSH) is the most abundant antioxidant in human cells. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced in the body can promote oxidative damage to cells and may cause genomic instability and mitochondrial dysfunction, two hallmarks of aging. The concentration of GSH has been shown to decrease with aging, resulting in reduced antioxidant act...
Source: Fight Aging! - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Daily News Source Type: blogs