L-alanyl-L-cystine has the following applications in medicine:
I. Nutritional Support
Amino Acid Supplementation: It is a compound amino acid preparation that can provide the body with essential alanine and cystine. For patients who cannot obtain sufficient amino acids through a normal diet, such as those who are fasting after surgery, have severe burns, or suffer from chronic consumptive diseases, it can be supplemented through methods like intravenous infusion to maintain nitrogen balance, promote protein synthesis, and assist patients in their recovery.
Nutritional Supplementation for Special Populations: For some special populations, such as premature infants and low-birth-weight infants, since their amino acid metabolism functions have not yet been fully developed, they need to supplement specific amino acids additionally to meet the needs of growth and development. L-alanyl-L-cystine can provide a high-quality source of amino acids, which is helpful for promoting the growth and development of these special populations.
II. Adjuvant Treatment for Liver Diseases
Improving Liver Function: Cystine can be converted into substances such as glutathione in the body. Glutathione is an important antioxidant that can protect liver cells from damage by free radicals and is also involved in the detoxification process of the liver, thus helping to improve liver function. When treating liver diseases such as hepatitis and cirrhosis, L-alanyl-L-cystine can be used as an adjuvant drug to help reduce liver inflammation and promote the repair and regeneration of liver cells.
Reducing Blood Ammonia Levels: Patients with liver diseases often have elevated blood ammonia levels. Ammonia is a toxic substance to the human body that can affect brain function and lead to serious complications such as hepatic encephalopathy. Alanine can participate in the ammonia metabolism in the body. By combining with ammonia to form non-toxic glutamine, it can reduce blood ammonia levels and prevent and treat hepatic encephalopathy.
III. Treatment of Respiratory Diseases
Expectorant Effect: Cystine can be converted into cysteine in the body, and cysteine is an important raw material for the synthesis of mucoprotein in sputum. When there is a lack of cystine in the body, the synthesis of mucoprotein in sputum decreases, the viscosity of sputum is reduced, and it is easier to expectorate. Therefore, L-alanyl-L-cystine can be used to treat symptoms such as thick sputum and difficulty in expectoration caused by respiratory diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and bronchial asthma.
Antioxidant Protection: In the airways of patients with respiratory diseases, there is an oxidative stress response, which generates a large number of free radicals and damages the airway epithelial cells. Antioxidant substances such as glutathione generated by the conversion of L-alanyl-L-cystine can scavenge free radicals, reduce airway inflammation, protect the airway mucosa, help relieve the condition, and promote the recovery of the disease.
IV. Treatment of Skin Diseases
Promoting Wound Healing: During the process of skin wound healing, a large amount of protein and amino acids are required to synthesize new tissues. The amino acids provided by L-alanyl-L-cystine are important raw materials for the synthesis of skin collagen. It can promote the proliferation and differentiation of cells around the wound and accelerate the synthesis of collagen, thereby promoting wound healing and reducing scar formation.
Treating Skin Inflammation: For some skin inflammatory diseases, such as eczema and psoriasis, L-alanyl-L-cystine has a certain adjuvant treatment effect. It can regulate the metabolism of skin cells, enhance the skin's barrier function, reduce the release of inflammatory mediators, relieve symptoms such as skin itching and redness, and promote the subsidence of skin inflammation.
