N-acetyl-L-cysteine combined with mesalamine in the treatment of ulcerative colitis: randomized, placebo-controlled pilot study.

Aim: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of oral N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) co-administration with mesalamine in ulcerative colitis (UC) patients.

Methods: Thirty seven patients with mild to moderate UC were randomized to receive a four-wk course of oral mesalamine (2.4 g/d) plus N-acetyl-L-cysteine (0.

Azathioprine acts upon rat hepatocyte mitochondria and stress-activated protein kinases leading to necrosis: protective role of N-acetyl-L-cysteine.

Azathioprine is an immunosuppressant drug widely used. Our purpose was to 1) determine whether its associated hepatotoxicity could be attributable to the induction of a necrotic or apoptotic effect in hepatocytes, and 2) elucidate the mechanism involved. To evaluate cellular responses to azathioprine, we used primary culture of isolated rat hepatocytes.