N-acetylcysteine – antioxidant action and use in the small animal clinic

Abstract

For a long time, N-acetylcysteine was only used as a mucolytic and expectorant agent and in the treatment of paracetamol intoxication.  With the advent of studies on free radicals, antioxidants are gaining prominence and the N-acetylcysteine is among them.  The objective of this article is to highlight the farmacological activity of this amino acid in affections in the small animal clinical routine, as well as to present new perspectives in its use in human, which could, in the future, form the base for similar studies in dogs and cats.