Thiol disulfide homeostasis in psychiatric disorders: A comprehensive review

Thiol-disulfide couple maintains an intracellular redox status. Dynamic thiol-disulfide homeostasis acts crucial parts in metabolic processes involving signal mechanisms, inflammation, antioxidant defense. Thiol-disulfide homeostasis have been implicated in numerous diseases. In this comprehensive review we identified the studies that examined the thiol-disulfide homeostasis in psychiatric disorders. Most cases demonstrated alterations in thiol-disulfide homeostasis and in most of them the thiol-disulfide balance tended to change direction to the disulfide side, that is, to the oxidative side. Currently, the fact that N-acetylcysteine, a thiol-containing compound, is of great interest as a new treatment approach in psychiatric disorders and the role of glutathione, the most abundant thiol, in the brain highlights the importance of evaluating the thiol-disulfide balance in psychiatric disorders.

Automated summary

The thiol-disulfide couple is important for maintaining intracellular redox status and plays crucial roles in metabolic processes, signal mechanisms, inflammation, and antioxidant defense. Imbalances in thiol-disulfide homeostasis have been implicated in numerous diseases. This comprehensive review identifies studies on thiol-disulfide homeostasis in psychiatric disorders, which reveal alterations in the thiol-disulfide balance, usually shifting towards the oxidative side. The use of N-acetylcysteine, a thiol-containing compound, as a potential treatment and the role of glutathione, the most abundant thiol in the brain, highlight the importance of evaluating thiol-disulfide balance in psychiatric disorders.