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N-acetylcysteine inhibits IL-8 and MMP-9 release and ICAM-1 expression by bronchoalveolar cells from interstitial lung disease patients

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Abstract

N-acetylcysteine (NAC), owing to its antioxidant, mucolytic and anti-inflammatory properties, is used in the treatment of various pulmonary disorders. However, the direct effects of NAC on bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cells from patients suffering from interstitial lung diseases have not yet been studied. Therefore, the aim of the present work was to evaluate the effect of NAC on interleukin-8 (IL-8) and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) production as well as intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) expression byBALcells from interstitial lung diseases. The study was performed on BALcells from nine patients with interstitial lung disease: four patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and five patients with sarcoidosis. Cultured unstimu-lated BAL cells were treated with increasing doses of NAC (1-30 mM). Production of IL-8 and MMP-9 was evaluated by specific enzyme-linked immuno-sorbent assays and ICAM-1 expression was studied by immunohistochemistry. NAC exerted a dose-dependent inhibitory effectonIL-8 and MMP-9 release and ICAM- expression byBALmacrophages and lymphocytes from patients with IPF and sarcoidosis. In conclusion, NAC inhibits production of factors playing a key role in the etiopathogenesis of interstitial lung diseases, thus suggesting its possible therapeutic potency in the treatment of these disorders.

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Abbreviations

BAL:

bronchoalveolar lavage

ELISA:

enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay

ICAM-1:

intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1

IL:

interleukin

IPF:

idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

Lym:

lymphocytes

Mac:

macrophages

MMP-9:

matrix metalloproteinase-9

NAC:

iV-acetylcysteine

NF-KB:

nuclear factor kappa B

TNF:

tumor necrosis factor

VCAM-1:

vascular cell adhesion molecule

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Histology and Embryology, Medical University of Warsaw, Chałubińskiego 5, PL 02-004, Warszawa, Poland

    Dorota M. Radomska-Leśniewska, Ewa Jankowska-Steifer, Agata Hevelke & Jacek Malejczyk

  2. Department of Pathology, Centre of Biostructure Research, Medical University of Warsaw, Chałubińskiego 5, PL 02-004, Warszawa, Poland

    Ewa Skopińska-Różewska

  3. 1st Department of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases, National Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases Research Institute, Płocka 26, PL 01-138, Warszawa, Poland

    Małgorzata Sobiecka

  4. Department of Respiratory Medicine, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Antwerp, Belgium

    Anna M. Sadowska

Authors
  1. Dorota M. Radomska-Leśniewska
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  2. Ewa Skopińska-Różewska
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Correspondence to Dorota M. Radomska-Leśniewska.

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Radomska-Leśniewska, D.M., Skopińska-Różewska, E., Jankowska-Steifer, E. et al. N-acetylcysteine inhibits IL-8 and MMP-9 release and ICAM-1 expression by bronchoalveolar cells from interstitial lung disease patients. Pharmacol. Rep 62, 131–138 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1016/S1734-1140(10)70250-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S1734-1140(10)70250-4

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