The effects of N-acetylcysteine administration on metabolic status and serum adiponectin levels in patients with metabolic syndrome: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

Abstract

This study examined the impact of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) administration on metabolic parameters and serum adiponectin levels in individuals with metabolic syndrome (MetS). This randomized clinical trial included 76 people with MetS, aged 25–75 years. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either 1800 mg/day NAC (n = 38) or matched placebo (n = 38) for 12 weeks. Fasting blood samples were collected at the onset and at the end of 12-week intervention to quantify metabolic parameters. NAC significantly reduced fasting plasma glucose (P = 0.02), fasting serum insulin (P = 0.006), insulin resistance index (P = 0.005), and serum C-reactive protein (P = 0.003), and increased serum HDL-cholesterol (P = 0.001) and plasma total glutathione (P < 0.001) versus the placebo group. NAC administration did not alter adiponectin, blood pressure, other lipid indices, malondialdehyde, and total antioxidant capacity. Overall, 1800 mg/day NAC consumption for 12 weeks in MetS subjects had positive impacts on the parameters of glycemic homeostasis, HDL-cholesterol, inflammatory status, and body antioxidative defense system. NAC prescription may be a new strategy for the amelioration of metabolic parameters in individuals with MetS. Clinical Trial Registration: This clinical trial was prospectively registered in the Iranian website for registration of clinical trials (https://www.irct.ir/trial/44284).