Effect of glycerol-induced acute renal failure on glutathione status and mitogen-induced proliferation of rat splenocytes.

The mitogen-induced activation responses of rat splenic lymphocytes were determined for control and uremic rats. Lymphocyte activation was quantified by incorporation of [3H]thymidine. Glycerol-induced acute renal failure (ARF) inhibited the proliferation of both lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced B-lymphocytes and concanavalin A (Con A)-induced T-lymphocytes by 80% and 87%, respectively. The decrease in [3H]thymidine incorporation in both the LPS- and con A-activated cells significantly correlates with increases in plasma urea and creatinine concentrations (r = 0.83). Total glutathione (GSH) concentration in the splenocytes was not significantly different in terms of GSH per 10(7) cell, although the overall GSH and the number of viable splenocytes were generally lower in the uremic rats. Determination of GSH-related enzymes (GSH S-transferase, GSSG reductase and GSH peroxidase) in the spleen of control rats and rats with ARF showed little difference in the activities of these enzymes, although the GSSG/GSH ratio, which is an indication of oxidative stress, was significantly increased in the spleen of uremic rats. Incubation of normal splenocytes from control rats with uremic plasma obtained from rats with ARF also significantly decreased the proliferation responses. Metabolic inhibitors present in uremic plasma may contribute to the inhibitory action on mitogen-induced proliferation of B- and T-lymphocytes, although oxidative stress which occurs in ARF may itself be sufficient to affect the immune function.