ABSTRACT
This chapter is intended to raise the level of awareness of the importance of the role of glutathione (GSH) in tissue protection against a variety of toxic challenges. Continued oxidative stress from many sources can compromise the liver's capacity to produce sufficient antioxidants such as reduced GSH even for self-protection. The specialized intracellular properties of GSH may also be involved in apoptosis or what has been generally referred to as "programmed" cell death. The functional role of GSH peroxidase is attributed to a seleno-cysteine group at each of the catalytic sites on the enzyme. GSH is part of the naturally occurring antioxidant defense strategy employed by cells and tissues to combat oxidative stress caused by the presence of free radicals. The function of GSH may be limited in terms of its capacity to reach certain parts of the cell in the concentrations that are necessary to maintain some degree of protection.
