N-acetylcysteine amide (AD4) attenuates oxidative stress in beta-thalassemia blood cells

Johnny Amer, Daphne Atlas, Eitan Fibach*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

74 Scopus citations

Abstract

Many aspects of the pathology in β-hemoglobinopathies (β-thalassemia and sickle cell anemia) are mediated by oxidative stress. In the present study we tested a novel thiol compound, N-acetylcysteine amide (AD4), the amide form of N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) for its antioxidant effects. Using flow-cytometry, we showed that in vitro treatment of blood cells from β-thalassemic patients with AD4 elevated the reduced glutathione (GSH) content of red blood cells (RBC), platelets and polymorphonuclear (PMN) leukocytes, and reduced their ROS. These effects resulted in a significant reduced sensitivity of thalassemic RBC to hemolysis and phagocytosis by macrophages. Intra-peritoneal injection of AD4 to β-thalassemic mice (150 mg/kg) reduced the parameters of oxidative stress (p < 0.001). Our results show the superiority of AD4, compared to NAC, in reducing oxidative stress markers in thalassemic cells both in vitro and in vivo.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)249-255
Number of pages7
JournalBiochimica et Biophysica Acta - General Subjects
Volume1780
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 2008

Keywords

  • Flow cytometry
  • Free radicals
  • Hemoglobinopathies
  • N-acetylcysteine amide
  • Oxidative stress
  • Reduced glutathione

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