BACKGROUND Mortality is similarly high among individuals with usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) due to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and interstitial pneumonia with autoimmune features (IPAF). Circulating anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA) are commonly found in this patient population, suggesting possible aberrant immune activation. Because an environment of oxidative stress can result from i...

BACKGROUND Ovarian aging is associated with declining numbers and quality of oocytes and follicles. Oxidative stress by reactive oxygen species (ROS) contributes to somatic aging in general, and also has been implicated in reproductive aging. Telomere shortening is also involved in aging, and telomeres are particularly susceptible to ROS-induced damage. Previously, we have shown that antioxidan...

N-Acetylcysteine (NAC) is a sulfhydryl-containing compound that produces a dramatic acceleration of urinary methylmercury (MeHg) excretion in poisoned mice, but the molecular mechanism for this effect is poorly defined. MeHg readily binds to NAC to form the MeHg-NAC complex, and recent studies indicate that this complex is an excellent substrate for the basolateral organic anion transporter (Oa...

Background: The purpose of our study was to evaluate an inexpensive and available method to reduce mucous impactions in mechanically ventilated patients.Methods: This randomized clinical trial was conducted on 40 mechanically ventilated patients aged 15-90 years. The patients were randomly allocated into two arms; 20 cases and 20 controls. The cases received N-acetylcysteine via their nebulizer...

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the protective potency of melatonin, amifostine (WR-2721), and N-acetylcysteine (NAC) when administered intraperitoneally (i.p.) 15 min before 10-Gy single-fraction radiotherapy. Materials and Methods: In this study, 35 female Sprague Dawley rats were divided into five groups of seven rats each. The rats in the control group did not receive a...

Glutathione (GSH) deficiency is associated with numerous pathological conditions. Administration of N-acetylcysteine (NAC), a cysteine prodrug, replenishes intracellular GSH levels. NAC, best known for its ability to counter acetaminophen toxicity, is a safe, well-tolerated antidote for cysteine/GSH deficiency. NAC has been used successfully to treat GSH deficiency in a wide range of infections...

The prognosis of patients with esophageal cancer improves by using neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). More patients obtain pathological N0 staging (pN0) after surgery. The heterogeneity of prognosis of these patients poses a great challenge of customizing therapeutic strategies for individual patients. The signs of lymph nodes on both pre and post NAC computer tomography (CT) scan can provide more...

OBJECTIVE Various forms of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) have been applied in the treatment of gastric cancer. The present study was designed to assess the survival benefits of NAC with UFT (tegafur plus uracil) for gastric cancer, as a randomized consent trial as described by Zelen. PATIENTS AND METHODS The present study included 295 patients with resectable gastic cancer between 1991 and 1...

Background/Aims This study aimed to determine the regulatory role of N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC), an antioxidant, in interleukin 17 (IL-17)-induced osteoclast differentiation in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods After RA synovial fibroblasts were stimulated by IL-17, the expression and production of receptor activator of nuclear factor κ-B ligand (RANKL) was determined by real-time polymerase ...

We previously showed that dietary treatment with the N-acetylcysteine conjugate of phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC-NAC) inhibited benzo(a)pyrene-induced lung tumorigenesis in A/J mice, and that tumor inhibition was associated with induction of activator protein-1 (AP-1) activity and stimulation of apoptosis in the lungs of mice. In the present study, we show that PEITC-NAC also induces apoptosi...