EFFECT OF ALCOHOL-ABUSE AND GLUTATHIONE ADMINISTRATION ON THE CIRCULATING LEVELS OF GLUTATHIONE AND ON ANTIPYRINE METABOLISM IN PATIENTS WITH ALCOHOLIC LIVER-CIRRHOSIS

Glutathione (GSH) is a principal cellular scavenger of free radicals. Chronic alcohol abuse, as well as liver disease, induces a decrease of hepatic GSH. We evaluated the effect of GSH administration (2.4 g day (-1) in saline i.v. for 15 days) on the concentration of GSH in plasma and erythrocytes and on liver function tests, including galactose and antipyrine tests. We studied 40 alcoholic cirrhotic patients: 22 trea ted with GSH (10 persistent alcohol abusers and 12 weaning from alcoho l during the study) and 18 treated with saline only (8 persistent alco hol abusers and 10 abstainers). Treatment with GSH improved the concen tration of GSH in plasma and erythrocytes only in abstainers from alco hol; it did not affect liver function tests or galactose clearance. Pe rsistent alcohol consumption significantly prolonged antipyrine metabo lism; GSH administration counteracted this effect.