An Investigation of Glutathione-Platinum(II) Interactions by Means of the Flow Injection Analysis Using Glassy Carbon Electrode

Glutathione was discovered by M. J. de Rey Pailhade at the end of the 19th century as the substance (hydrogénant le soufre), which was renamed by F.G. Hopkins in 1921. Hopkins first characterised the compound as a dipeptide of glutamic acid and cysteine. Few years later he suggested the correct structure to be a tripeptide which also contains glycine. GSH as a ubiquitous tripeptide thiol is a vital intra- and extra-cellular protective antioxidant. It plays a number of key roles in the controlling of signalling processes, detoxifying of some xenobiotics and heavy metals etc. Glutathione is found almost exclusively in its reduced form; since the enzyme, which reverts it from its oxidized form (GSSG) called glutathione reductase, is constitutively active and inducible upon oxidative stress. In fact, the ratio of reduced to oxidized glutathione within cells is often used as a marker of cytotoxicity.