Protective effects of N-acetylcysteine against cadmium-induced damage in cultured rat normal liver cells.
In this study, the protective effects of N-acetylcysteine (NAC), a precursor of reduced glutathione, were studied by measuring the viability, the levels of antioxidant enzymes, and by analyzing the cell cycle in cadmium (Cd)-treated rat liver cells. The cells were treated with 150 µM CdCl2 alone or co-treated with 150 µM CdCl2 and 5 mM NAC (2 h pre-, simultaneous or 2 h post-treatment) for 24 h. The viability of the cells treated with 150 µM CdCl2 alone decreased to 40.1%, while that of the cells co-treated with 5 mM NAC (pre-, simultaneous and post-treatment) significantly increased to 83.7, 86.2 and 83.7%, respectively in comparison to the control cells (100%). The catalase enzyme level decreased to undetectable level in the cells treated with CdCl2 alone, while it significantly increased in the co-treated cells (pre-, simultaneous and post-treatment) to 40.1, 34.3 and 13.2%, respectively. In the cells treated with CdCl2 alone, the glutathione peroxidase enzyme level decreased to 78.3%, while it increased in the co-treated cells (pre-, simultaneous, and post-treatment) to 84.5, 83.3 and 87.9%, respectively. The glutathione reductase enzyme level decreased to 56.1% in the cells treated with cadmium alone, but significantly increased in the cells co treated with NAC (pre-, simultaneous and post-treatment) to 79.5, 78.5 and 78.2%, respectively. Cd caused cell cycle arrest at the S and G2/M phases. The co-treatment with NAC inhibited cell cycle arrest by shifting the cells to the G1 phase. These results clearly show the protective effects of NAC against Cd-induced damage in rat liver cells.
Department of Biology, Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, FL 32307, USA. caroline.odewumi@famu.edu
Caroline O
CO
Odewumi
Veera L D
VL
Badisa
Uyen T
UT
Le
Lekan M
LM
Latinwo
Christopher O
CO
Ikediobi
Ramesh B
RB
Badisa
Selina F
SF
Darling-Reed
D000111:Acetylcysteine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D002104:Cadmium / Q000633:toxicity; D002374:Catalase / Q000378:metabolism; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects; D002460:Cell Line; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic / Q000187:drug effects; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D005980:Glutathione Reductase / Q000378:metabolism; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats
D002104:Cadmium; D002374:Catalase; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D005980:Glutathione Reductase; D000111:Acetylcysteine