| 摘要 |
A method for enhancing the overall beneficial immune system response in a host that works in conjunction with the host's natural immune system response to simultaneously enhance the host's ability to eliminate infectious microbes while suppressing the toxicity of the immune system response to the host. The method utilizes the non-enzymatic formation of allicin in response to the localized generation of H2O2 by immune system cells (such as neutrophils) to simultaneously increase the antimicrobial effect while reducing the cytotoxicity to the host. It is shown that enzymes can be reversibly inhibited that would not normally be sensitive to deactivation by a thiol-disulfide exchange reaction. This results in part from the recognition that deactivation of SH dependant enzymes by allicin does not take place by the previously attributed mechanism of thiol-disulfide exchange reactions. Allicin, cysteine, and related organosulfur compounds have a variety of antimicrobial and immunomodulatory properties that work together with the host's immune system in the prevention and treatment of disease. Prophylactic and therapeutic treatment is provided by administering an allium-related organosulfur compound such that a localized thiosulfinate is caused to be non-enzymatically formed in response to localized generation of H2O2 by the activated immune system cells. Allicin, cysteine and related organosulfur compounds may be simultaneously delivered in an efficient manner through the use of protein-bound S-AllylMercaptoCysteine (SAMC) or similar prodrugs. |
