发现R-(+)-硫辛酸是一种黄色结晶物质。它是一种具有生物活性的天然产物。1951年Raed等人首次从处理过的不溶肝组织残渣中分离得到一种生长促进酶的结晶型辅因子,并由于其高度脂溶性和pKa值为4.7而将其命名为硫辛酸。
生理功能 硫辛酸是一种内源性抗氧化剂,可以去除机体自由基。它能促进机体利用葡萄糖合成维生素C,促进谷胱甘肽合成,有效去除黑色素,还能协助辅酶进行有利于机体免疫力的生理代谢。此外,硫辛酸还具有抗炎作用,可抑制激酶、转化因子、肿瘤坏死因子和胶原酶的活性,具有抗衰老功效。它能保存和再生其他抗氧化剂,广泛应用于预防和治疗心脏病、糖尿病、肝病及老年痴呆症。
生物活性 R型对映异构体在硫辛酸中表现出更强的生物活性。这是因为代谢过程中大量R型硫辛酸可通过细胞膜及线粒体膜进入细胞和线粒体内被还原成二氢硫辛酸,而S型仅有少量进入细胞被还原。二氢硫辛酸具有比硫辛酸更强的抗氧化能力,并且是内源性抗氧化剂再生和氧化性损伤修复的重要形式。
靶点
体外研究 R-(+)-α-硫辛酸((R)-(+)-α-Lipoic acid)是在人体中合成的一种强效抗氧化剂,对于减轻糖尿病神经症状具有优越的疗效。它是一种线粒体酶复合物的重要辅助因子,并且能够抑制NF-κB依赖性HIV-1 LTR活化。
用途 维生素类药物,效果优于硫辛酸。
Lipoate is an essential component of the 2-oxoacid dehydrogenase complexes and the glycine-cleavage system of Escherichia coli. It is attached to specific lysine residues in the lipoyl domains of the E2p (lipoate acetyltransferase) subunit of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex by a Mg(2+)- and ATP-dependent lipoate protein ligase (LPL). LPL was purified from wild-type E. coli, where its abundance is extremely low (< 10 molecules per cell) and from a genetically amplified source. The purified enzyme is a monomeric protein (M(r) 38,000) which forms irregular clusters of needle-like crystals. It is stable at -20 degrees C, but slowly oxidizes to an inactive form containing at least one intramolecular disulphide bond at 4 degrees C. The inactive form could be re-activated by reducing agents or by an as-yet unidentified component (reactivation factor) which is resolved from LPL at the final stage of purification. The pI is 5.80, and the Km values for ATP, Mg2+ and DL-lipoate were determined. Selenolipoate and 6-thio-octanoate were alternative but poorer substrates. Lipoylation was reversibly inhibited by the 6- and 8-seleno-octanoates and 8-thio-octanoate, which reacted with the six cysteine thiol groups of LPL. LPL was inactivated by Cu2+ ions in a process that involved the formation of inter- and intra-molecular disulphide bonds. Studies with lplA mutants lacking LPL activity indicated that E. coli possesses another distinct lipoylation system, although no such activity could be detected in vitro.