title: Food preservatives sodium sulfite and sorbic acid suppress mitogen-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells.
abstract: Antioxidant preservatives prolong the quality of food and ensure the nutritional adequacy, palatability and safety of many processed foods and beverages. Effects of sodium sulfite (E221) and sorbic acid (E200) were investigated in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) which were purified from blood of healthy donors. Cells were stimulated with the mitogen phytohaemagglutinin in vitro, which induces proliferation of T-cells and the production of Th1-type cytokines like interferon-gamma. The latter triggers enzyme indoleamine (2,3)-dioxygenase, which degrades tryptophan, and GTP cyclohydrolase I, which leads to increased neopterin production, in monocyte-derived macrophages. Sodium sulfite and sorbic acid suppressed both these biochemical changes in a dose-dependent way (P<0.01 at 1 mM sodium sulfite and 50 mM sorbic acid). Data demonstrate a suppressive influence of sodium sulfite and sorbic acid on the activated Th1-type immune response.
authors.affiliation: Biocenter, Division of Biological Chemistry, Innsbruck Medical University, Fritz Pregl Strasse 3, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Christiana
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Winkler
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Frick
authors.forename: Katharina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Schroecksnadel
authors.forename: Harald
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schennach
authors.forename: Dietmar
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fuchs
mesh_terms: D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005520:Food Preservatives / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006136:GTP Cyclohydrolase / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D050503:Indoleamine-Pyrrole 2,3,-Dioxygenase / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D019798:Neopterin / Q000096:biosynthesis; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins / Q000494:pharmacology; D013011:Sorbic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013447:Sulfites / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D014364:Tryptophan / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D005520:Food Preservatives; D050503:Indoleamine-Pyrrole 2,3,-Dioxygenase; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins; D013447:Sulfites; D019798:Neopterin; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D014364:Tryptophan; D006136:GTP Cyclohydrolase; C025026:sodium sulfite; D013011:Sorbic Acid