Geng Z, Rong Y, Lau B H
Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, School of Medicine, Loma Linda University, CA 92350, USA.
Free Radic Biol Med. 1997;23(2):345-50. doi: 10.1016/s0891-5849(97)00006-3.
Reactive oxygen species are involved in signal transduction pathways leading to nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappa B) activation which has been implicated in the regulation of gene transcription. We recently reported that a garlic compound, S-allyl cysteine (SAC), protects bovine pulmonary artery endothelial cells from oxidant injury induced by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). In this study we determined the effects of SAC on NF-kappa B activation in human T lymphocytes (Jurkat cells) induced by tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF- alpha) and H2O2. Activated NF-kappa B in nuclear extracts was measured by an electrophoretic mobility shift assay using 32P-labeled probe. SAC consistently exhibited a dose-dependent inhibition of NF-kappa B activation induced by both TNF-alpha and H2O2. Supershift with specific antibodies to NF-kappa B subunits confirmed that the inducible retarded bands observed in the EMSA and p65-p50 heterodimer of the NF-kappa B/Rel protein. Our data suggest that SAC may act via antioxidant mechanisms to block NF-kappa B activation in Jurkat cells.
