N-Acetylcysteine prevents baker’s-yeast-induced inflammation and fever

• Published in: Inflammation research Vol. 61; no. 2; pp. 103 - 112
• Main Authors: Ferreira, Ana Paula Oliveira, Pasin, Juliana Saibt Martins, Saraiva, André Luis Lopes, Ratzlaff, Viviane, Rossato, Mateus Fortes, Andrighetto, Rosália, Rubin, Maribel Antonello, Ferreira, Juliano, Mello, Carlos Fernando
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel SP Birkhäuser Verlag Basel 01-02-2012; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Acetylcysteine - pharmacology; Acetylcysteine - therapeutic use; Allergology; Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal - pharmacology; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal - therapeutic use; Antipyretics - pharmacology; Antipyretics - therapeutic use; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Dermatology; Dinoprostone - pharmacology; Fever - drug therapy; Fever - microbiology; Free Radical Scavengers - pharmacology; Hypothalamus - chemistry; Hypothalamus - metabolism; Immunology; Interleukin-1beta - analysis; Leukocyte Count; Male; Neurology; Original Research Paper; Peritoneal Lavage; Peritonitis - drug therapy; Peritonitis - metabolism; Peritonitis - microbiology; Pharmacology/Toxicology; Proteins - analysis; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Rheumatology; Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Saccharomyces cerevisiae - drug effects; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - analysis; Acetylcysteine; Cytokines; Leukocyte migration; Fever
• ISSN: 1023-3830; 1420-908X
• DOI: 10.1007/s00011-011-0392-8

Objetive and design
To investigate whether
N
-acetylcysteine (NAC) alters baker’s-yeast-induced fever and inflammation.
Material or subjects
Male Wistar rats (26–28 days old) injected with baker’s yeast (135 mg/kg, intraperitoneal) or prostaglandin E
2
(300 ng/100 μL, intrathecal).
Treatment
Rats were injected with NAC (500 mg/kg, subcutaneous, or 50 μg/100 μL, intrathecal) 1 h before, or 2 h after, pyrogen injection.
Methods
Rectal temperature changes induced by baker’s yeast, PGE
2
and NAC were followed up over time. Four hours after baker’s yeast injection, total leukocytes, protein, interleukin (IL)-1β, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and nonprotein thiol content were assessed in peritoneal lavage and hypothalamus.
Results
Systemic administration of NAC decreased leukocytes, protein, IL-1β and TNF-α levels in peritoneal lavage, and decreased IL-1β levels in the hypothalamus. The central administration of NAC prevented baker’s-yeast-induced fever, but did not alter the febrile response elicited by prostaglandin E
2
.
Conclusion
These results suggest an anti-inflammatory and antipyretic role for NAC in yeast-induced peritonitis.