Mammals are treated for infections or for conditions associated with pathologically proliferating mammalian cell growth (for example, certain cancers, restenosis, benign prostatic hypertrophy) by administration of a manipulator of nitrosative stress to selectively kill or reduce the growth of the microbes or helminths causing the infection or of host cells infected with the microbes or of the pathologically proliferating mammalian cells. Novel agents include .alpha.-alkyl-S-alkyl-homocysteine sulfoximines wherein the .alpha.-alkyl contains 2 to 8 carbon atoms, and the S-alkyl-contains 1 to 10 carbon atoms. In another invention herein, mammals in need of increased nitrosative stress defenses are treated, e.g., humans at risk for a stroke because of having had a transient ischemic attack, are treated. Treatments to increase nitrosative stress defenses include, for example, repeated administrations of low doses of manipulators of nitrosative stress so that the subject treated has increased tolerance to nitrosative stress. In still another invention, mammals are treated for protozoal infections by systemic administration of L-buthionine-S-sulfoximine and agent that increases nitrosative stress.
哺乳动物可以通过给予一种氮化应激的调节剂来治疗感染或与病理性增殖的哺乳动物细胞生长相关的疾病(例如某些癌症、再狭窄、良性前列腺增生),以选择性地杀死或减少导致感染的微
生物或寄生虫或者感染微
生物的宿主细胞或病理性增殖的哺乳动物细胞的生长。新型药物包括α-烷基-S-烷基-同型半胱
氨酸亚磺酰胺,其中α-烷基含有2至8个碳原子,而S-烷基含有1至10个碳原子。在另一项发明中,需要增强氮化应激防御的哺乳动物得到了治疗,例如,因为曾经发生过短暂性缺血性发作而有中风风险的人类得到了治疗。增加氮化应激防御的治疗方法包括,例如,反复给予低剂量的氮化应激调节剂,以使接受治疗的受试者对氮化应激具有增加的耐受性。在另一项发明中,哺乳动物通过全身给药L-
丁硫氨酸-S-亚磺酰胺和增加氮化应激的药物来治疗原虫感染。