Antioxidant N-acetyl-cysteine increasing cell adhesion capability could facilitate the biocompatibility processes.
Cell adhesion plays an important role in several cell processes and functions, including differentiation, proliferation and death. An important role for cell attachment to medical devices in biocompatibility studies has also been hypothesized. In this paper we report that the use of the antioxidant drug N-acetyl-cysteine is capable of increasing the adhesion properties of epithelial cells in culture. This is associated with a modification of specific cytoskeletal element assembly, such as microfilament system molecules. In contrast, no quantitative alterations in the expression of certain surface receptors for extracellular matrix molecules, such as VLA2, VLA3 and VLA6, are found. These data seem to indicate that intracellular oxidative balance, in particular of thiol groups, could play a key role in the cell adhesion properties and that N-acetyl-cysteine treatment, acting as 'thiol supply', could be of importance in several circumstances, including biocompatibility of medical devices.
Malorni
W
W
Department of Ultrastructures, Istituto Superiore di Sanitá, Rome, Italy.
Matarrese
P
P
Rivabene
R
R
Paradisi
S
S
Donelli
G
G
D000111:Acetylcysteine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000187:drug effects*; D002460:Cell Line; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D004847:Epithelial Cells; D004848:Epithelium / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors / Q000378:metabolism; D039201:Integrin alpha3beta1; D039121:Integrin alpha6beta1; D016023:Integrins / Q000378:metabolism; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D008422:Materials Testing; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D038981:Receptors, Collagen
D000975:Antioxidants; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors; D039201:Integrin alpha3beta1; D039121:Integrin alpha6beta1; D016023:Integrins; D038981:Receptors, Collagen; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1; D000111:Acetylcysteine