The protective role of glutathione in silver induced toxicity in blood components.

Silver nitrate (AgNO3) effect on the status of reduced glutathione (GSH), the major non-protein thiol in blood components were examined using freshly isolated plasma and cytosolic fraction of whole blood of healthy human volunteer. AgNO3 had significant effects on GSH contents reduction in plasma and cytosolic fraction of blood. Effect or reduction in GSH content was more pronounced or significant at AgNO3 concentration with time intervals (minutes to hours). Depletion of GSH in plasma and cytosolic fraction of blood by the addition of AgNO3 indicates that AgNO3 penetrated the cell membrane and reacted with GSH, depleted its contents mostly due to oxidation of reduced Glutathione (GSH) to glutathione disulphide (GSSG) 2 GSH-GSSG+2H+ or likely that AgNO3 after penetration formed a Silver-Glutathione (Ag-SG) complex. Time dependent effect of AgNO3 on the chemical status of glutathione was discussed in vitro in this paper which in principle presents the model of in vivo reaction, which will be the precise indirect impression of AgNO3 detoxification resulting by the interaction with GSH.