title: Maternal N-acetylcysteine suppresses fetal inflammatory cytokine responses to maternal lipopolysaccharide.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Evidence suggests that maternal infections may induce fetal inflammatory responses. Because cytokine actions may be mediated by oxidative stress, we determined whether N-acetylcysteine, an antioxidant, can blunt fetal inflammatory responses to maternal lipopolysaccharide.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sprague Dawley near-term rats (n = 16) received intraperitoneal lipopolysaccharide (100 microg/kg) at 30 minutes and saline solution or N-acetylcysteine (300 mg/kg) at 150 minutes. An additional group received N-acetylcysteine before and after lipopolysaccharide administration. At 6 hours, rats were killed, and fetal and maternal blood cytokines were determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After maternal lipopolysaccharide administration, fetal blood interleukin-6 markedly increased (3 +/- 2 to 1265 +/- 574 pg/mL); N-acetylcysteine that was given before or before and after lipopolysaccharide administration reduced fetal interleukin-6 response to control levels. A similar trend was observed for interleukin-1beta. No effect of N-acetylcysteine on fetal interleukin-10 levels was observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Maternal N-acetylcysteine inhibits fetal cytokine responses to maternal lipopolysaccharide, even when given 2 hours after lipopolysaccharide injection. These results suggest that N-acetylcysteine may protect the fetus from sequelae of maternal inflammation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Rambam Medical Center, Israel.
authors.forename: Ron
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Beloosesky
authors.forename: Dave A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Gayle
authors.forename: Michael G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Ross
mesh_terms: D000111:Acetylcysteine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005260:Female; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007249:Inflammation / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000097:blood; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000097:blood; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000633:toxicity*; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000502:physiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D007375:Interleukin-1; D015850:Interleukin-6; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D016328:NF-kappa B; D016753:Interleukin-10; D000111:Acetylcysteine