ABSTRACT
A number of strategies have been tried to increase glutathione. Most approaches use pharmacological doses of glutathione or a form of the rate-limiting substrate, cysteine. Administering GSH by oral, intravenous, intratracheal, and intraperitoneal routes has been tried but has no lasting effect (76,77). Glutathione is digested if taken orally, has a short half-life if delivered intravenously, and does not significantly increase liver or lymphocyte GSH if given intratracheally or intraperitoneally. Esterified GSH compounds have increased GSH in a few tissues (78) but have limited value in human use due to harmful and potentially toxic metabolic products (79).
