Abstract:
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a type of neurodevelopmental disorder that has been diagnosed in an increasing number of children around the world. The existing data suggest that early diagnosis and intervention can improve ASD outcomes. The causes of ASD remain complex and unclear, and there are currently no clinical biomarkers for autism spectrum disorder. There is an increasing recognition that ASD might be associated with oxidative stress through several mechanisms including abnormal metabolism (lipid peroxidation) and the toxic buildup of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Glutathione acts as an antioxidant, a free radical scavenger and a detoxifying agent. This open-label pilot study investigates the tolerability and effectiveness of oral supplementation with OpitacTM gluthathione as a treatment for patients with ASD. The various aspects of glutathione OpitacTM glutathione bioavailability were examined when administered by oral routes. The absorption of glutathione from the gastrointestinal tract has been recently investigated. The results of this case series suggest that oral glutathione supplementation may improve oxidative markers, but this does not necessarily translate to the observed clinical improvement of subjects with ASD. The study reports a good safety profile of glutathione use, with stomach upset reported in four out of six subjects. This article discusses the role of the gut microbiome and redox balance in ASD and notes that a high baseline oxidative burden may make some patients poor responders to glutathione supplementation. In conclusion, an imbalance in redox reactions is only one of the many factors contributing to ASD, and further studies are necessary to investigate other factors, such as impaired neurotransmission, immune dysregulation in the brain, and mitochondrial dysfunction.
摘要:
自闭症谱系障碍(ASD)是一种神经发育障碍,已在世界各地越来越多的儿童中被诊断出。现有数据表明,早期诊断和干预可以改善ASD结果。ASD的原因仍然复杂和不清楚,目前尚无自闭症谱系障碍的临床生物标志物。人们越来越认识到ASD可能通过几种机制与氧化应激有关,包括异常代谢(脂质过氧化)和活性氧(ROS)的毒性积累。谷胱甘肽作为抗氧化剂,自由基清除剂和解毒剂。这项开放标签的试点研究调查了口服补充OpitacTM谷胱甘肽作为ASD患者治疗的耐受性和有效性。当通过口服途径给药时,检查了谷胱甘肽OpitacTM谷胱甘肽生物利用度的各个方面。最近研究了谷胱甘肽从胃肠道的吸收。本病例系列的结果表明,口服谷胱甘肽补充剂可能会改善氧化标志物,但这并不一定转化为观察到的ASD患者的临床改善。该研究报告了谷胱甘肽使用的良好安全性,六个受试者中有四个报告胃部不适。本文讨论了肠道微生物组和氧化还原平衡在ASD中的作用,并指出高基线氧化负担可能使一些患者对谷胱甘肽补充剂的反应较差。总之,氧化还原反应的不平衡只是导致ASD的众多因素之一,需要进一步的研究来调查其他因素,比如神经传递受损,大脑中的免疫失调,和线粒体功能障碍。