title: N-Acetylcysteine Ameliorates Experimental Autoimmune Myocarditis in Rats via Nitric Oxide.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Oxidative stress may play an important role in the development of myocarditis. We investigated the effects of N-acetylcysteine (NAC), a potent antioxidant, on experimental autoimmune myocarditis (EAM) in rats.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A rat model of porcine myosin-induced EAM was used. After the immunization with myosin, NAC (20 mg/kg/d) or saline was injected intraperitoneally on days 1 to 21. Additional myosin-immunized rats treated with NAC were orally given 25 mg/kg/d of N(G)-nitro-l-arginine methylester (l-NAME), an inhibitor of nitric oxide (NO) synthase, and N(G)-nitro-d-arginine methylester (d-NAME), an inactive enantiomer. The NAC treatment improved cardiac pathology associated with reduced superoxide production. In the EAM rats treated with NAC associated with oral l-NAME, but not with oral d-NAME, the severity of myocarditis was not reduced. Expression of intercellular adhesion molecule 1 was reduced by NAC treatment. Myocardial c-kit(+) cells were demonstrated only in the NAC-treated group. Hemodynamic study showed that the increased left ventricular mass produced by myocardial inflammation tended to be reduced by NAC treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Treatment with NAC ameliorated myocardial injury via NO system in a rat model of myocarditis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Kana
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shimada
authors.affiliation: First Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medical Science, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroyasu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Uzui
authors.affiliation: First Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medical Science, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan.
authors.forename: Takanori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ueda
authors.affiliation: First Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medical Science, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan.
authors.forename: Jong-Dae
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan kkishi@kuhp.kyoto-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Chiharu
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kishimoto
mesh_terms: D000111:Acetylcysteine / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000818:Animals; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000502:physiology; D009205:Myocarditis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D013481:Superoxides / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D013481:Superoxides; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D000111:Acetylcysteine
keywords: N-acetylcysteine; autoimmune myocarditis; free radicals; nitric oxide; oxidative stress