Effect of N-acetyl-L-cysteine on Cytokine Production by Human Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells
Journal Title: Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal - Year 2009, Vol 9, Issue 1
Abstract
Tis study investigates the in vitro effect of the antioxidant drug, N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC), on cytokine production by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Methods: PBMC were isolated by Ficoll-Hypaque, and stimulated with anti-CD3 antibodies, phytohaemagglutinin (PHA), lipopolysaccharide (LPS) for 24 hours in the presence or absence of 5 mM NAC. Te cytokines produced were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results: Treatment with NAC significantly up-regulates the secretion of IL-β, IL-5 (interleukin) and IFN-γ (interferon) and down regulates IL-0 production, after anti-CD3 or PHA (p<0.05), but not after LPS stimulation. NAC also significantly increased total IL-2 secretion after anti-CD3 (but not PHA or LPS) stimulation and IL-2p40 after anti-CD3, PHA, and LPS stimulation (p <0.05). Conclusion: Tese results indicate that NAC up-regulated the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, and down regulated anti-inflammatory cytokine production by PBMC, in a process which may be associated with increased levels of glutathione (GSH). Further work is required to determine whether this increase or decrease in cytokine production is due to direct effect of NAC.
Authors and Affiliations
Ahmed Al-Shukaili| Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, Suad Al-Abri| Department of Biology, College of Science, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, Alia Al-Ansari| Department of Biology, College of Science, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, Michele A Monteil| Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP13857
- DOI -
- Views 362
- Downloads 12
Metastatic Invasive Lobular Carcinoma of the Breast Masquerading as a Primary Renal Malignancy
Breast cancer is known to metastasise to different organs in the body, but an initial presentation of breast cancer with loin pain secondary to a metastatic renal mass is extremely rare. We report a 58-year-old woman...
Re: Calvarial Tuberculosis in a Preschool-Aged Child An uncommon entity
I read with interest the case report by Santra et al. published in the November 2017 issue of SQUMJ in which the clinical presentation and management plan of a two-and-a-half-year-old Indian child with calvarial tuberc...
A-Z of Medical Writing
Understanding the Influenza A H1N1 2009 Pandemic
A new strain of Influenza A virus, with quadruple segment translocation in its RNA, caused an outbreak of human infection in April 2009 in USA and Mexico. It was classifed as Influenza A H1N1 2009. Te genetic materia...
Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) - Is it an Emerging Risk Factor for Coronary Artery Disease? Preliminary study in a local Indian population
Te objective of this study was to identify the presence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods: 149 patients were selected, who had been referred to the Ins...