Olivier R, Dragic T, Lopez O, Herzenberg L, Montagnier L; International Conference on AIDS.
Int Conf AIDS. 1992 Jul 19-24; 8: A65 (abstract no. PoA 2376).
Unite d'Oncologie Virale, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.
OBJECTIVES: We have previously shown that peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) from HIV seropositive patients, cultured in growth factor free medium for 3 days show an important loss of viability and an apoptosis phenomenon in T cell subsets as compared to healthy donor's PBLs. According to previous reports describing low levels of intracellular glutathione in T cell subsets and an anti-oxidant, N-Acetyl-cysteine (NAC) as a mean to higher Glutathione level, 15 patients were treated with 600 to 1200 mg of NAC per day for over 6 months. Viability and apoptosis profiles were followed over a 10 days period. METHODS: In flow cytometry analysis of patients' cells using Ethidium Bromide and Acridine Orange, we noted the appearance of a cell population including CD4 and CD8 cells with a low DNA staining intensity, a decrease of cell size and an increase of cell granularity. An agarose gel electrophoresis revealed DNA fragmentation correlated to this phenomenon, suggesting apoptosis. RESULTS: With NAC treated patients we observed a systematic amelioration of their viability results from 2 months to 6 months of NAC treatment. At day 3 no cell death or apoptosis is detected in PBL's from healthy donors and patients treated over 6 months. At day 6 PBL's from healthy donors has up to 30% dead and apoptotic cells (60 to 100% for non or recently treated patients). There is no cell death before day 8 to 10 in PBL's from patients treated over 6 months. CONCLUSIONS: The apparent "over-protection" of patients PBL's by NAC treatment could be reason enough to apply early therapy with this molecule. These results are correlated to an in vitro study of NAC effect on HIV positive patient cells. The regulation of oxygen derived free radicals is ruled by different reducing agents and protective enzymes complementing each other. An in vitro study is in process to determinate the most efficient combination in the protection of lymphocyte populations.
Publication Types:
Keywords:
- AIDS Vaccines
- Acetylcysteine
- Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
- Apoptosis
- CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes
- DNA Fragmentation
- Flow Cytometry
- HIV Infections
- HIV Seropositivity
- Humans
- In Vitro
- Lymphocytes
- Oxidants
- genetics
Other ID:
UI: 102198396
From Meeting Abstracts