Effect of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist on T helper cell differentiation induced by phorbol-myristate-acetate and ionomycin

Abstract

AimTo investigate the effect of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist on T helper (TH) cell differentiation and intracellular transcriptional factors in vitro. MethodsTen male healthy volunteers (aged 20–45y, BMI 18–25) were enrolled in this study. Twenty milliliters peripheral blood was collected in the morning from fasted volunteers and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were isolated. PBMC were incubated with phorbol-myristate-acetate (25ng/ml) (PMA) plus ionomycin (1μg/ml) in the presence of ketamine or MK-801 at 37°C. TH subsets, supernatant interferon γ (IFN-γ), interleukin 4 (IL-4), and intracellular transcriptional factors T-bet and GATA3 were analyzed 4h later. ResultsThe number of TH0 cells was kept constant and at baseline before PMA and ionomycin stimulation in each group. TH1 cells, TH2 cells, IFN-γ and IL-4 levels were significantly increased after PMA and ionomycin stimulation. Ketamine and MK-801 decreased TH1 cells, TH2 cells, IFN-γ and IL-4 levels but increased the ratio of TH1/TH2 and IFN-γ/IL-4 in the presence of PMA and ionomycin. Ketamine or MK-801 alone had no effect on either of them. T-bet and GATA3 activities in PBMC were significantly increased after PMA and ionomycin stimulation. Ketamine and MK-801 decreased T-bet and GATA3 activities but increased the ratio of T-bet/GATA3 following PMA and ionomycin stimulation. Ketamine or MK-801 alone had no effect on the activity of T-bet, GATA3 or T-bet/GATA3. ConclusionNMDA antagonist can suppress TH cell differentiation and subsequent cytokines production but increase TH1/TH2 ratio following PMA and ionomycin stimulation, it may be related to its regulation on T-bet and GATA3 activities.