Patent ID: 8217084

Claim:
A method of providing a recycling extracellular antioxidant whose locality includes both the intracellular and extracellular environments to a mammalian animal in need thereof, said method comprising: administering to said mammalian animal a therapeutically effective amount of a composition comprising molecules selected from the group consisting of mercaptans, mixed disulfides formed from mercaptans disulfide bonded to proteins, or a mixture thereof, wherein within said mammalian animal, said composition: (a) metabolizes via digestion or thiol-disulfide exchange reactions to form membrane permeable mercaptans that are organic molecules each comprising a sulfur atom and up to 5 carbon atoms in a linear or branched configuration and having a molecular weight of 350 Daltons or less; wherein said membrane permeable mercaptans are permeable to cells of said mammalian animal; wherein said membrane permeable mercaptans comprise said extracellular antioxidant within said mammalian animal, becoming concurrently oxidized to form disulfides or mixed disulfides; (b) wherein said disulfides or mixed disulfides form membrane permeable disulfides or mixed disulfides that enter cells of said mammalian animal; wherein said membrane permeable disulfides or mixed disulfides are reduced within the cell to produce said membrane permeable mercaptans of (a); thereby providing a recycling extracellular antioxidant whose locality includes both the intracellular and extracellular environments within said mammalian animal.