Mucolytic
Mucolytic (disulfide bond lysis)
- A free sulfhydryl group cleaves the disulfide bonds cross-linking mucin glycoproteins → sputum viscosity falls
- Distinct from an expectorant, which mobilizes secretions without altering mucin chemistry
- A free sulfhydryl group cleaves the disulfide bonds cross-linking mucin glycoproteins → sputum viscosity falls
- A specific chemistry, not a general "thins mucus" claim — it is thiol–disulfide interchange
- Distinct from an expectorant, which mobilizes secretions without altering mucin chemistry
Drugs with this mechanism (2)
- Acetylcysteine — Glutathione precursor and mucolytic; the antidote for acetaminophen poisoning.
- N-acetylcysteine (NAC) — Glutathione precursor; the antidote for acetaminophen overdose, also a mucolytic.
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