U373-MG response to interleukin-1 beta-induced oxidative stress

Oxidative stress has been involved in various neurological disorders and, i n the central nervous system, astrocytes represent the cell type that contr ibutes to neuroprotection via glutathione (GSH) metabolism, GSH-metabolizin g enzymes like gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT), and apoE secretion. In this study, using IL-1 beta, a proinflammatory and prooxidant cytokine that is increased in numerous pathological situations, cells of astrocytoma cell li ne U373-MG were exposed to an oxidative stress, leading to c-Jun and c-Fos activation. IL-1 beta decreased both GGT activity and intracellular GSH con tent and increased apoE secretion, initiating astroglial response to injury . We observed that antioxidants inhibit IL-1 beta effects on c-Jun and c-Fo s proteins, GGT activity and the GSH pool but not on apoE secretion. Our re sults allow us to conclude that neurological disorders associated with an I L-1 beta-induced oxidative stress could be, at least experimentally, revers ible in the presence of one antioxidant, N-acetylcysteine.