The incorporation of 2H-labelled glycine into the glutathione of intact human erythrocytes studied by 1H spin-echo fourier transform NMR

Glutathione (γ-L-glutamyl-L-cysteinyl-glycine, GSH) is considered to be essential for maintenance of the structural integrity of the erythrocyte, being involved in the protection of protein thiol groups against oxidation, the catalysis of sulfhydryldisulfide exchange reactions, and the detoxification of foreign compounds. In assessing the GSH status of the cell, not only is the GSH level of interest but also the capacity of the cell for GSH synthesis. The authors show that intracellular GSH dynamics can be monitored directly by 1H NMR spectroscopy by following the incorporation of 2H-labelled glycine. The results also show that information about other cellular reactions can be obtained simultaneously from the same set of measurements. (Auth.)