Diethyl maleate

Description

Diethyl maleate DEM is an orally available, effective glutathione GSH depletor that crosses the blood-brain barrier. Diethyl maleate covalently binds irreversibly to GSH via glutathione S-transferase with an in vitro IC50 of 0.1-0.5 mM. Diethyl maleate selectively depletes GSH in liver, lung, and brain tissues, exacerbating oxidative stress and enhancing hyperbaric oxygen toxicity. Diethyl maleate promotes precursor amino acid uptake and in turn promotes GSH synthesis by upregulating the activity of the cystine-glutamate transporter XO-. Diethyl maleate can be used to study redox homeostasis and GSH protection mechanisms in oxidative stress-related diseases such as hyperbaric oxygen injury and metabolic diseases 1 2 3 .