N-acetylcysteine effectively alleviates systemic lupus erythematosus in mice via regulation of oxidative stress

Purpose: To study the influence of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) on systemic lupus  erythematosus (SLE) mice, and the mechanism(s) involved. Methods: Fourteen MRL/lpr SLE mice aged 5 weeks (mean weight = 20.35 ± 2.12 g) were divided into two 7-mouse groups: SLE (control) and treatment groups. The control group comprised healthy female SPF-grade C57BL/6 mice (n = 7). The treatment group mice received intraperitoneal injection of NAC at a dose of 250 mg/kg daily for 8 weeks. The serum levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO), and activities of glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and superoxide dismutase (SOD), were assayed using standard methods. The level of urine protein and activity of anti-double stranded (ds) DNA antibody were determined using their respective enzyme-linked assay (ELISA) kits. Results: The spleens of mice in SLE mice were significantly enlarged, relative to control mice, but they were reduced significantly by NAC (p < 0.05). N-Acetylcysteine (NAC) also significantly reduced the serum levels of MDA and NO in SLE mice, but significantly  increased the serum activities of superoxide dismutase and GPx. Moreover, urine protein concentration and activity of anti-dsDNA antibody in SLE mice significantly increased, but reduced significantly by NAC treatment (p < 0.05). Conclusion: These results suggest that NAC effectively alleviates SLE in mice via regulation of oxidative stress. Thus, NAC has the potentials for development into a therapy for the management of SLE. Keywords: Anti-dsDNA antibodies, Antioxidant enzymes, N-acetylcysteine, Oxidative stress, Systemic lupus erythematosus