Protective effects of N-acetylcysteine against monosodium glutamate-induced astrocytic cell death

Food Chem Toxicol. 2014 May:67:1-9. doi: 10.1016/j.fct.2014.02.015. Epub 2014 Feb 18.

Abstract

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a flavor enhancer, largely used in the food industry and it was reported to have excitotoxic effects. Higher amounts of MSG consumption have been related with increased risk of many diseases, including Chinese restaurant syndrome and metabolic syndromes in human. This study investigated the protective effects of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) on MSG-induced cytotoxicity in C6 astrocytic cells. MSG (20 mM)-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and apoptotic cell death were significantly attenuated by NAC (500 μM) pretreatment. NAC effectively inhibited the MSG-induced mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) loss and intracellular reduced glutathione (GSH) depletion. In addition, NAC significantly attenuated MSG-induced endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress markers, such as XBP1 splicing and CHOP, PERK, and GRP78 up-regulation. Furthermore, NAC prevented the changes of MSG-induced Bcl-2 expression level. These results suggest that NAC can protect C6 astrocytic cells against MSG-induced oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and ER stress.

Keywords: Apoptosis; Astrocyte; ER stress; Monosodium glutamate; N-acetylcysteine.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acetylcysteine / pharmacology*
  • Animals
  • Astrocytes / cytology
  • Astrocytes / drug effects*
  • Astrocytes / metabolism
  • Base Sequence
  • Cell Death / drug effects*
  • Cell Line
  • DNA Primers
  • Endoplasmic Reticulum Chaperone BiP
  • Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial / drug effects
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Reactive Oxygen Species / metabolism
  • Sodium Glutamate / pharmacology*

Substances

  • DNA Primers
  • Endoplasmic Reticulum Chaperone BiP
  • HSPA5 protein, human
  • Reactive Oxygen Species
  • Sodium Glutamate
  • Acetylcysteine