N‐Acetylcysteine inhibits apoptosis and decreases viral particles in HIV‐chronically infected U937 cells

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Abstract
Apoptosis or programmed cell death (PCD) is a type of death occurring in various physiological processes. Several data suggest that: (1) apoptosis may play a critical role in AIDS pathogenesis; (2) an increase of endocellular free radical levels can be associated with activation of previously latent HIV virus. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF), a cytokine capable of inducing oxygen free radicals and apoptosis, appears also to be involved in HIV activation. The present findings, which elucidate a relationship between the percentage of apoptotic cells, reduced glutathione (GSH) depletion and an increase of p24 antigenemia, suggest that pretreatment with N‐acetylcysteine (NAC) is capable of decreasing the above‐mentioned phenomena in HIV‐infected U937 cells.