Description
What is the need for this test? Why its used?
The production, use and disposal of toxic chemicals and synthetic materials have increased the risk of exposure to health-threatening toxins. Causal relationships between toxic chemicals and diseases have been well established. However many patients endure chronic symptoms that are associated with exposure to toxins before advanced stages of specific diseases are realized. Thus, there is a great demand for noninvasive laboratory tests that can provide timely assessment of chemical exposure and the capability of hepatic detoxification.
What is D-Glucaric Acid? Which liver pathways it’s found? Phase 1 or Phase 2 of detoxification?
According to Massachusetts Institute of Technology. USA, Department of Chemical Engineering, 2014, “D-glucaric acid is a naturally occurring compound which has been explored for a plethora of potential uses, including biopolymer production, cancer treatment, cholesterol reduction, and as a replacement for polyphosphates in detergents. This molecule was identified in 2004 as a "Top Value-Added Chemical from Biomass" by the U.S. Department of Energy (Werpy and Petersen, 2004), implying that production of D-glucaric acid could be economically feasible if biomass were used as a feedstock”
Source URL https://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/87132
Calcium-D-Glucarate is just known to be a β-glucuronidase inhibitor. The process of 'glucuronidation' is a detoxification process where a group (known as a glucuronide) is attached to a hydrophobic molecule to make it more water soluble, and then the kidneys can better facilitate its removal from the body. This process is positively mediated by the glucuronosyltransferase enzyme, and negatively mediated by the β-glucuronidase enzyme; as such, inhibiting the negative regulator (the enzyme that removes the glucuronide) indirectly increases the activity of this pathway.
According to WebMd, definition,
Calcium D-glucarate is a chemical. It is similar to a naturally occurring chemical called glucaric acid. Glucaric acid is found in our bodies as well as in fruits and vegetables such as oranges, apples, brussels sprouts, broccoli, and cabbage. Calcium D-glucarate is made by combining glucaric acid with calcium to make supplements that people use for medicine.
Calcium D-glucarate is used for preventing breast, prostate, and colon cancer; and for removing cancer-causing agents, toxins, and steroid hormones from the body.
How does it work?
Calcium D-glucarate might lower estrogen levels, and this is thought to be helpful in treating some people with hormone-dependent cancers. There isn't enough evidence to support the use of calcium D-glucarate for preventing cancer in humans.
Source URL : https://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-136-calcium%20d-glucarate.aspx?activeingredientid=136&activeingredientname=calcium%20d-glucarate
One process by which the body eliminates toxins is enzymatic detoxification in the liver. A reliable biomarker for exposure to toxic chemicals is urinary D-glucaric acid. Elevated levels of D-glucaric acid indicate induction of cytochrome P-450 enzymes (phase I) as a result of exposure to many xenobiotics, including pesticides, fungicides, petrochemicals, drugs, toluene, formaldehyde, styrenes and more. Such exposures induce the glucuronic acid enzymatic pathway and production of D-glucaric acid, thus urinary D-glucaric acid is an indirect byproduct of chemical exposure and phase I detoxification reactions.
What is mercapturic acid? What is it used for in body? How does it relate to detoxification? In which pathways does it take place phase 1 or phase 2?
“Mercapturic acid is a condensation product formed from the coupling of cysteine with aromatic compounds. It is formed as a conjugate in the liver and is excreted in the urine.
Glutathione-S-transferase adducts lose glutamate and glycine portions and are acetylated to form mercapturic acids, which are excreted.
Source URL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercapturic_acid
The urinary level of mercapturic acids indicates quantitatively the degree of activity or capability of phase II detoxification.
Mercapturic acids are the final excretory products of detoxification and include a variety of functionalized xenobiotics that have been conjugated with glutathione or L-cysteine prior to excretion.
What do low levels of mercapturic acids indicate?
Low levels of mercapturic acids are consistent with insufficient levels of glutathione and/or cysteine.
When the rate of formation of functionalized xenobiotics (phase I) exceeds the capacity of phase II detoxification, more potent toxins accumulate.
Especially important for symptomatic patients or those who have a history of chemical sensitivity, this test does not require the use of hepatotoxic compounds. This non-invasive test requires only a single, first-morning void (FMV) urine collection. Results are expressed per unit creatinine to normalize for dilution effects, and reference ranges are age and gender specific. The test does not replace comprehensive liver tests for cases of the advanced liver disease.
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