THIOL SUPPLIER N-ACETYLCYSTEINE ENHANCES CONJUGATE FORMATION BETWEEN NATURAL-KILLER-CELLS AND K562 OR U937 TARGETS BUT INCREASES THE LYTIC FUNCTION ONLY AGAINST THE LATTER
W. Malorni et al., THIOL SUPPLIER N-ACETYLCYSTEINE ENHANCES CONJUGATE FORMATION BETWEEN NATURAL-KILLER-CELLS AND K562 OR U937 TARGETS BUT INCREASES THE LYTIC FUNCTION ONLY AGAINST THE LATTER, Immunology letters, 43(3), 1994, pp. 209-214
In this in vitro study, an evaluation of the importance of intracellul
ar oxidative balance on cell-mediated cytotoxicity was performed by an
alyzing the effects of the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAG), a speci
fic thiol supplier, on natural killer (NK) cell-mediated cytotoxicity.
The results obtained indicate that an enhancement of target cell (TC)
killing can be detected when a pre-exposure of effector cells (EC) to
NAC was performed. However, this effect seems to depend upon the TC t
ype used. In fact, the increase of EC activity was detected against th
e differentiated U937 TC while no changes were detected by the same ef
fecters against K562 cells. The mechanism of this enhancement seems to
be ascribable to an increased ability of NAG-exposed NK cells to form
conjugates (binding) which, in turn, appears to be due to a specific
effect of NAC on actin microfilaments. A role for NAC as a cytoskeleto
n thiol-modifier contributing to the activation of effector cells can
thus be hypothesized.