N-acetyl-cysteine suppresses amniotic fluid and placenta inflammatory cytokine responses to lipopolysaccharide in rats.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

Maternal infections may induce placental, amniotic and, potentially, fetal inflammatory responses. As cytokine responses may be mediated by oxidative stress, we determined whether the antioxidant N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC), can attenuate maternally induced amniotic and placental cytokine responses to maternal infection (modeled by lipopolysaccharide [LPS]).

STUDY DESIGN:

Gestation day 18 pregnant rats were (1) treated with LPS (100 microg/kg, body weight; intraperitoneally) alone; (2) pretreated with NAC (300 mg/kg body weight; intraperitoneally) 30 minutes before LPS; (3) posttreated with NAC 120 minutes after LPS; or (4) treated with NAC 30 minutes before and 120 minutes after LPS. Six hours after LPS administration, maternal serum and amniotic fluid interleukin-6 (IL-6) and IL-10 levels, and placental IL-6 messenger RNA levels were determined.

RESULTS:

LPS increased maternal serum IL-6 (50 +/- 25 to 3444 +/- 584 pg/mL) and IL-10 (40 +/- 20 to 958 +/- 339 pg/mL) and amniotic fluid IL-6 (59 +/- 25 to 891 +/- 128 pg/mL). Pretreatment and/or posttreatment with NAC attenuated IL-6 in the maternal serum and amniotic fluid and IL-10 in the amniotic fluid. LPS also induced placental IL-6 messenger RNA that was inhibited by treatment with NAC before and after LPS.

CONCLUSION:

NAC inhibition of inflammatory responses may protect the fetus from potential long-term sequelae.

• Authors: Ron Beloosesky, Dave A Gayle, Fataneh Amidi, Sonia E Nunez, Jooby Babu, Mina Desai, Michael G Ross
• Journal: American journal of obstetrics and gynecology (Am J Obstet Gynecol) Vol. 194 Issue 1 Pg. 268-73 (Jan 2006) ISSN: 1097-6868 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 16389042 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural)

Chemical References

• Antioxidants
• Cytokines
• Inflammation Mediators
• Interleukin-6
• Lipopolysaccharides
• RNA, Messenger
• Interleukin-10
• Acetylcysteine

Topics

• Acetylcysteine (pharmacology)
• Amniotic Fluid (metabolism)
• Animals
• Antioxidants (pharmacology)
• Cytokines (antagonists & inhibitors)
• Female
• Inflammation Mediators (antagonists & inhibitors)
• Interleukin-10 (blood)
• Interleukin-6 (blood, genetics, metabolism)
• Lipopolysaccharides (pharmacology)
• Placenta (metabolism)
• Pregnancy
• RNA, Messenger (antagonists & inhibitors, metabolism)
• Rats
• Rats, Sprague-Dawley