title: Histopathological outcome of Leishmania major-infected BALB/c mice is improved by oral treatment with N-acetyl-l-cysteine.
abstract: Leishmania major infected BALB/c mice were treated with N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC), a glutathione precursor, to evaluate the role of in vivo glutathione on lesion pathology and cytokine profiles following infection. Mice were maintained on NAC-containing water 2 days before infection for a total of 14 weeks. The BALB/c response to L. major infection was improved by oral administration of NAC, at the level of histopathological outcome, lesion progression and cytokine profile. A significantly improved histopathological outcome of the footpad lesion, characterized by a mixed inflammatory infiltrate organized in a focal pattern with little tissue destruction and a reduced parasite load, was observed in NAC-treated BALB/c mice. Histopathological modulation was accompanied by a modified cytokine pattern from popliteal lymph node cells, demonstrated by a sustained higher frequency of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha)-producing cells. This work points to an important role for glutathione in the modulation of effector responses in BALB/c mice.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Lymphocyte Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Ave. Antônio Carlos 6627, CP 486, Belo Horizonte, MG 30161-970, Brazil.
authors.forename: Etel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rocha-Vieira
authors.forename: Ellen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.forename: Priscila
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vianna
authors.forename: Daniela R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: De Faria
authors.forename: Soraya T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Gaze
authors.forename: Walderez O
authors.initials: WO
authors.lastname: Dutra
authors.forename: Kenneth J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Gollob
mesh_terms: D000111:Acetylcysteine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000818:Animals; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D018320:Leishmania major / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016773:Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000276:immunology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C
chemical_list: D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents; D016207:Cytokines; D000111:Acetylcysteine