fig1

Figure 1. Simplified schematic presentation of the glutathione recycling and conversion of hydroxyethyl disulfide (HEDS) to mercaptoethanol (ME). HEDS reacts with glutathione (GSH) and the disulfide bonds are cleaved by the enzymes in the glutathione recycling pathway. The resulting mercaptoethanol can be measured using spectrophotometry and provide an indirect determination of a patient’s ability to recycle glutathione and neutralize reactive oxygen species