Antioxidant effects of stereoisomers of N-acetylcysteine (NAC), L-NAC and D-NAC, on angiotensin II-stimulated MAP kinase activation and vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation.
We examined the effects of the stereoisomers of N-acetylcysteine (NAC), L-NAC and D-NAC, on cellular glutathione (GSH) concentration and whether NAC-regulated cellular GSH levels are directly associated with angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced intracellular signaling events in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC). Both L-NAC and D-NAC similarly increased intracellular GSH concentration. We found that L-NAC and D-NAC both inhibited Ang II-induced c-Jun N-terminal kinase and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase activation and [(3)H]-thymidine incorporation in VSMC. Our present study indicates the comparable effects of NAC stereoisomers in regulating intracellular GSH and the redox-dependent intracellular signaling mechanisms in VSMC.
Department of Pharmacology, The University of Tokushima Graduate School of Medicine, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan.
Moe
M
Kyaw
Masanori
M
Yoshizumi
Koichiro
K
Tsuchiya
Yuki
Y
Izawa
Yasuhisa
Y
Kanematsu
Yoshiko
Y
Fujita
Nermin
N
Ali
Keisuke
K
Ishizawa
Aiko
A
Yamauchi
Toshiaki
T
Tamaki
D000111:Acetylcysteine / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000804:Angiotensin II / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000166:cytology; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D032389:Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013237:Stereoisomerism; D013936:Thymidine / Q000378:metabolism; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism
D000975:Antioxidants; D000804:Angiotensin II; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D005978:Glutathione; D013936:Thymidine; D000111:Acetylcysteine