Lymphocyte glutathione status in relation to their Con A proliferative response.
We studied the intracellular total, oxidized and reduced glutathione levels in thymus and spleen rat lymphocytes cultured with or without Con A and 2-mercaptoethanol (2-ME). After 48 h culture, the total glutathione level decreased and the oxidized glutathione level increased in the two types of unstimulated and stimulated cells. In the presence of 2-ME, the tritiated thymidine incorporation increased in splenocytes but not in thymocytes; on the other hand, the two types of stimulated cells increased their total and oxidized glutathione content. The enhancement of the GSSG/GSH + GSSG ratio, irrespective of culture conditions, indicates a severely disturbed redox state of the cells. 2-ME acts on the glutathione synthesis of stimulated lymphocytes but is unable to maintain a normal redox state of these cells.
D000818:Animals; D002455:Cell Division; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003208:Concanavalin A / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism*; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008623:Mercaptoethanol / Q000494:pharmacology; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology
D003208:Concanavalin A; D008623:Mercaptoethanol; D005978:Glutathione