Mesna (Mesnex, Uromitexan) - Terminator of thiols
- also called sodium 2-mercaptoethanesulfonate, but mesna sounds way cooler
- given during cancer chemotherapy involving oxazaphosphorine drugs like ifosfamide and cyclophosphamide to prevent damage to the bladder and kidneys, which can result in hemorrhagic cystitis
- it is thought that mesna is able to bind up toxic metabolites of the cancer drugs that have been filtered out by the kidneys
- hemorrhagic cystitis is inflammation of the linings of the bladder and kidneys resulting in bleeding, which can present as blood in the urine (haematuria)
- contains a thiol (sulfhydryl) group, which enables it to release thiol-containing compounds that have become bound to proteins via disulfide bonds by exchanging itself with the compound
- increased release of these thiol-containing compounds from proteins leads to their increased excretion and lowered blood levels
- thiols affected include cysteine and homocysteine
- homocysteine is produced by the breakdown of methionine, another amino acid
- an elevated level of homocysteine in the blood has been positively associated with atherosclerosis
- also reduces oxidative damage induced by reperfusion following ischemia in the kidneys and intestine
- if you are starting a new job, drug testing can be a source of major anxiety
- screening for drugs by means of a urine or hair drug test is a standard procedure carried out in medical laboratories all over the world
- testing for drugs can be scary if you are on prescription medications, so consider some ADHD alternatives to drug therapy
- Ypsilantis P, Lambropoulou M, Tentes I, Kortsaris A, Papadopoulos N, Simopoulos C. Mesna protects intestinal mucosa from ischemia/reperfusion injury. J Surg Res. 2006 Aug;134(2):278-84. Epub 2006 Feb 28.
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesna
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