Improvement by several antioxidants of macrophage function in vitro

The toxic effects of oxygen radicals produced by immune cells can be controlled to certain degree by endogenous antioxidants, because of their scavenger action. This control is specially important in a type of immune cell, i.e.: the phagocyte, which needs oxygen free radicals and uses antioxidants in order to support its functions. Previous studies have shown an stimulation of the immune system with an antioxidant enriched diet. In the present work, we have studied the effects in vitro of several antioxidants: alpha-tocopherol or vitamin E (VE), ascorbic acid (AA), glutathione (GSH), N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and thioproline or thiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid (TCA), at different concentrations, on the various steps of the phagocytic process of murine peritoneal macrophages, i.e.: adherence to substrate, migration (random migration and-directed migration or chemotaxis), ingestion and superoxide anion production. The results show an antioxidant-induced stimulation of the phagocytic process of macrophages. Thus, the adherence to substrate was raised, after short incubation times, by alpha-tocopherol and ascorbic acid. Random migration, chemotaxis, ingestion and superoxide anion production were increased by all the antioxidants used.