title: Suppression of interleukin 2 biosynthesis by three modes of oxidative cellular stress: selective prevention by N-acetyl cysteine.
abstract: Acute stress induced by reagent hydrogen peroxide suppressed interleukin (IL-)2 biosynthesis in a dose-dependent fashion, reaching almost complete abolishment at 200 microM. Cells exposed to longitudinal oxidative stress and irradiation did not exhibit complete suppression of IL-2 biosynthesis, probably because intensities high enough to achieve such response would be lethal. These results suggest that suppression of IL-2 biosynthesis is a sensitive measure of acute oxidative stress. N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) prevented oxidative stress-induced suppression of IL-2 biosynthesis, except for that induced by acute stress at 100 microM and above. NAC was very efficient in preventing longitudinal and irradiation-induced stresses. Therefore, NAC appears to be a promising candidate for providing defence to individuals exposed to environmental conditions in which reactive oxygen intermediates are generated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Microbiology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Israel. flascher@post.tau.ac.il
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Flescher
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Fingrut
mesh_terms: D000111:Acetylcysteine / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006801:Humans; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000494:pharmacology; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D007376:Interleukin-2; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D000111:Acetylcysteine