Cell shape and sensitivity to the lytic activity of natural killers under antioxidant action

Abstract

The present work is an attempt to determine the impact of altered surface morphology on the cellular functional activity under the effect of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and alpha-lipoic acid (ALA). Cell area, as a parameter by means of which track morphological changes (cell shape) and sensitivity to lysis by a natural killer (NK) can be tracked, served as an indicator of the functional state. It was found that NAC or ALA addition to the culture medium of 3T3-SV40 transformed fibroblasts rapidly decreased the cell area and changed the cell shape. Their sensitivity to NK-produced cell lysis gradually and significantly decreased. Then we compared NAC or ALA effect with the action of not antioxidant agents but concurred with antioxidants, at least partly. The agents were latrunculin B, disrupting actin filaments (as both antioxidants); OTZ, reducing ROS level in the cell (as NAC); BSO (inhibitor of glutathione synthesis), increasing cellular ROS level (as ALA); and antibodies to gelatinases, MMP-2 and MMP-9, inactivating their activities (as both antioxidants). The results showed a correlation between changes of cell surface morphology and functional activity (sensitivity to NK lytic activity). We suggest that the geometry of the cell surface may be a functional indicator of the cell response to antioxidants.