TY - JOUR
T1 - Effect of n-acetyl-l-cysteine on cytokine production by human peripheral blood mononuclear cells
AU - Al-Shukaili, Ahmed
AU - Al-Abri, Suad
AU - Al-Ansari, Alia
AU - Monteil, Michele A.
N1 - Funding Information:
We gratefully thank the Medical Research and Ethics Committee (MREC), College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, for financially supporting this research. We appreciatively thank Dr. Abdullah Al-Maniri and Dr. Shyam S Ganguly for their help in statistical analysis. SOURCE OF FUNDING: College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Grant No.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2009, Sultan Qaboos University. All rights reserved.
PY - 2009/4
Y1 - 2009/4
N2 - Objectives: This 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. The cytokines produced were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results: Treatment with NAC significantly up-regulates the secretion of IL-1β, IL-5 (interleukin) and IFN-γ (interferon) and down regulates IL-10 production, after anti-CD3 or PHA (p<0.05), but not after LPS stimulation. NAC also significantly increased total IL-12 secretion after anti-CD3 (but not PHA or LPS) stimulation and IL-12p40 after anti-CD3, PHA, and LPS stimulation (p <0.05). Conclusion: These 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.
AB - Objectives: This 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. The cytokines produced were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results: Treatment with NAC significantly up-regulates the secretion of IL-1β, IL-5 (interleukin) and IFN-γ (interferon) and down regulates IL-10 production, after anti-CD3 or PHA (p<0.05), but not after LPS stimulation. NAC also significantly increased total IL-12 secretion after anti-CD3 (but not PHA or LPS) stimulation and IL-12p40 after anti-CD3, PHA, and LPS stimulation (p <0.05). Conclusion: These 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.
KW - Antioxidant
KW - Cytokines
KW - N-acetylcysteine
KW - Peripheral blood mononuclear cells
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84928013027&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84928013027&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84928013027
VL - 9
SP - 70
EP - 74
JO - Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal
JF - Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal
SN - 2075-051X
IS - 1
ER -