title: Glutamine protects activated human T cells from apoptosis by up-regulating glutathione and Bcl-2 levels.
abstract: Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in the body. A decrease of plasma glutamine concentrations is found in catabolic stress and is related to susceptibility to infections. Glutamine is known to modulate lymphocyte activation; however, little is known about glutamine modulation of cell death of activated human T cells. Using Jurkat T cells, we investigated glutamine modulation of T-cell apoptosis activated by PMA plus ionomycin. We found that glutamine at various concentrations significantly enhanced IL-2 production, cell proliferation, and cell viability of Jurkat T cells. Glutamine also decreased the number of apoptotic cells stimulated with PMA plus ionomycin as demonstrated by flow cytometry. Meanwhile, glutamine down-regulated CD95 and CD95L expression, but up-regulated CD45RO and Bcl-2 expression in activated T cells. Further investigation of CD95-mediated caspase activities revealed that supplementation of glutamine significantly decreased caspase-3 and caspase-8 activities in activated T cells. Since oxidative stress is closely associated with induction of lymphocyte apoptosis, we found that glutamine significantly increased glutathione (GSH), but decreased reactive oxygen species levels in activated T cells. Blockade of intracellular GSH formation enhanced, but exogenous GSH supplementation decreased, activated T-cell apoptosis. Studying normal peripheral lymphoproliferation, we also found that the presence of glutamine increased lymphoproliferation as well as Bcl-2 and CD95 expression; but decreased CD95L and activation-induced T-cell death. Taken together, glutamine appeared to augment lymphoproliferation but suppressed activation-induced T-cell death in both Jurkat T cells and human peripheral T lymphocytes.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Tri-Service General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Wei-Kuo
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Kuender D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Hau
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chuang
authors.forename: Jia-Tsong
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Jan
authors.forename: Men-Fang
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Shaio
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis; D002455:Cell Division; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D053222:Fas Ligand Protein; D005973:Glutamine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005978:Glutathione / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015759:Ionomycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D019169:Jurkat Cells; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate / Q000494:pharmacology; D015854:Up-Regulation; D019014:fas Receptor / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: C505661:FASLG protein, human; D053222:Fas Ligand Protein; D007376:Interleukin-2; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D019014:fas Receptor; D005973:Glutamine; D015759:Ionomycin; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens; D005978:Glutathione; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate