Ribose-cysteine increases glutathione-based antioxidant status and reduces LDL in human lipoprotein(a) mice

Abstract Objective : d -ribose- l -cysteine (ribose-cysteine) is a cysteine analogue designed to increase the synthesis of glutathione (GSH). GSH is a cofactor for glutathione peroxidase (GP x ), the redox enzyme that catalyses the reduction of lipid peroxides. A low GP x activity and increased oxidised lipids are associated with the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Here we aimed to investigate the effect of ribose-cysteine supplementation on GSH, GP x , lipid oxidation products and plasma lipids in vivo. Methods : Human lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] transgenic mice were treated with 4 mg/day ribose-cysteine (0.16 g/kg body weight) for 8 weeks. Livers and blood were harvested from treated and untreated controls ( n = 9 per group) and GSH concentrations, GP x activity, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), 8-isoprostanes and plasma lipid concentrations were measured. Results : Ribose-cysteine increased GSH concentrations in the liver and plasma ( P