N-acetyl-cysteine enhances cell adhesion properties of epithelial and lymphoid cells

Cell Biol Int. 1995 Aug;19(8):681-6. doi: 10.1006/cbir.1995.1117.

Abstract

In this paper, we show that the antioxidant N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) is capable of enhancing the adhesion properties of the epithelial cell line A431 and of the lymphocytic cells with cytotoxic activity from human peripheral blood: the natural killer (NK) cells. This effect leads to an increased efficiency of A431 cells to form a monolayer and of NK cells to kill their targets. In both cases a specific effect of NAC was found in the distribution of those molecules of the cytoskeleton which are generally involved in cell substrate and cell-to-cell contact region formation, e.g., the actin microfilaments. NAC could thus behave as a drug influencing certain cytoskeleton-dependent cell processes in a non-histotype dependent manner.

MeSH terms

  • Acetylcysteine / pharmacology*
  • Antioxidants / pharmacology*
  • Carcinoma, Squamous Cell
  • Cell Adhesion / drug effects*
  • Cell Line
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Cytoskeleton / drug effects
  • Cytoskeleton / physiology
  • Cytoskeleton / ultrastructure
  • Cytotoxicity, Immunologic / drug effects
  • Epithelium / drug effects
  • Epithelium / physiology
  • Free Radical Scavengers / pharmacology*
  • Glutathione / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Killer Cells, Natural / drug effects
  • Killer Cells, Natural / immunology*
  • Lymphocytes / drug effects
  • Lymphocytes / physiology*
  • Tumor Cells, Cultured

Substances

  • Antioxidants
  • Free Radical Scavengers
  • Glutathione
  • Acetylcysteine