The role of N-acetylcysteine and glutathione in the management of Parkinson’s disease: a systematic review of oxidative biomarkers and clinical outcomes

Parkinson's Disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterised by the loss of dopaminergic neurons, leading to both motor and non-motor symptoms. Oxidative stress is a significant contributor to the pathophysiology of PD, and glutathione (GSH) depletion contributes to neuronal damage. N-acetylcysteine (NAC), a bioavailable cysteine donor, can support endogenous GSH synthesis and may also exert antioxidant effects independent of GSH replenishment. NAC and GSH are proposed neuroprotective interventions due to their antioxidant properties. This systematic review evaluated the effects of NAC and GSH on oxidative stress and PD symptoms, comparing them with healthy controls or a placebo. A systematic search was conducted in Cochrane Library, PubMed, Web of Science, Ovid (Embase and MEDLINE), Scopus, and ProQuest for studies published between January 2003 and December 2024, including randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and non-randomised studies. Two reviewers assessed the study quality and extracted data. The primary outcome was the change in motor and non-motor symptoms as measured by the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) and were interpreted using minimal clinically important difference (MCID) thresholds. Secondary outcomes included biochemical redox markers such as blood GSH, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) GSH, GSSG, and GSH/GSSG ratio and imaging-based functional outcomes, particularly DAT binding assessed by DaTscan SPECT. The GSH/GSSG ratio reflects redox status (reduced vs. oxidised glutathione), CSF outcomes primarily reported NAC concentrations, and brain GSH was quantified using magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). Exclusion criteria included studies on conditions other than PD, those that did not use NAC or GSH as the primary intervention, and those without a comparator group. Nine studies, conducted between 2009 and 2019, met the inclusion criteria and involved 196 participants. NAC improved both motor and non-motor symptoms and significantly increased GSH/GSSG ratios, GSH levels in the CSF, and DAT binding. In contrast, intranasal GSH showed only modest increases in brain levels without significant improvements in symptoms or oxidative stress markers. The studies had limitations, including small sample sizes, short intervention durations, and inconsistencies in dosage and administration routes. These factors constrain the strength of the conclusions, and evidence for both NAC and GSH remains preliminary. Furthermore, while NAC shows promise as a neuroprotective intervention, findings for GSH are inconclusive. More large-scale, long-term randomised controlled trials are needed to validate these results and explore NAC and GSH's long-term therapeutic potential in managing PD.