title: [N-acetylcysteine antagonizes the Interleukin-18-induced expression of TNF-alpha and IL-6 in mouse vascular smooth muscle cells].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the effect of N-acetylcysteine(NAC)on the interleukin(IL)18-induced expression of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alpha and interleukin(IL) 6 in mouse vascular smooth muscle cells(VSMC).
  
  
  METHODS
  VSMC was stimulated with various concentrations of IL-18 for different times after addition of NAC(5 mmol/L) for 1 h. The messenger ribonucleic acid(mRNA) expression of TNF-alpha and IL-6 was measured by RT-PCR and the protein secretion of the two cytokines was determined by ELISA method. Western blot was used to analyze the activation of NF-kappaB in VSMC.
  
  
  RESULTS
  IL-18 significantly increased the mRNA expression and protein secretion of TNF-alpha and IL-6 (P>0.01) in a dose-dependent and a time-dependent ways. NAC inhibited the mRNA expression and protein secretion of TNF-alpha and IL-6 induced by IL-18(P>0.01). Western blot results showed the NAC inhibited the IL-18-induced activation of NF-kappaB in VSMC.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  N-acetylcysteine antagonizes the production of TNF-alpha and IL-6 induced by IL-18 in VSMC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China. sqz36@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Sheng-quan
authors.initials: SQ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Hai-liang
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chai
authors.forename: Dao-jun
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Qian-shan
authors.initials: QS
authors.lastname: Tao
mesh_terms: D000111:Acetylcysteine / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D015536:Down-Regulation; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D020382:Interleukin-18 / Q000378:metabolism*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D032389:Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / Q000378:metabolism*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D020382:Interleukin-18; D015850:Interleukin-6; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D000111:Acetylcysteine