Immune oxidative injury induced in mice exposed to normobaric O2: effects of thiol compounds on the splenic cell sulfhydryl content and Con A proliferative response.

In vivo exposure of mice to normobaric O2 depresses the cellular immune response by a mechanism that remains unknown. In vitro oxidative injury leads to decreased sulfhydryl groups (SH) in lymphocytes. To determine whether in vivo exposure to O2 would have similar effects, we measured the SH content in spleen cells both from mice that had been exposed to normobaric O2 (O2 SC) and from controls exposed to ambient air (Air SC). The SH content of the fresh O2 SC was slightly decreased, whereas after 48 hr of culture, the SH content and the proliferative response of these cells were found to vary with the type and concentration of thiol or disulfide compounds added to the culture medium. Under standard culture conditions, i.e., RPMI 1640 medium containing 0.41 mM half-cystine, the SH content in O2 SC decreased sharply to about 10 and 20% that of Air SC in the absence or presence of Con A (2 micrograms/ml), respectively. Under these culture conditions, the proliferative response of O2 SC was 20.5% +/- 3.2 of Air SC. In cystine-free RPMI 1640 medium supplemented with various concentrations of L-cystine, L-cystine and 2-mercaptoethanol (2-ME), L-cysteine, or reduced glutathione (GSH), the proliferative response to Con A and the SH content of the O2 SC varied in parallel and were correlated (p less than 0.01). Half-cystine (0.41 mM) plus 2-ME (5 X 10(-5) M) or L-cysteine alone (4 mM) completely protected the SH content of O2 SC and induced a proliferative response 82% +/- 6 that of the controls. In cystine-free RPMI 1640 medium supplemented with GSH (4 mM), the SH content and proliferative response of O2 SC were 79 and 67.5% of Air SC, respectively. Other concentrations of these compounds were less effective. Oxygen scavengers such as SOD, catalase, mannitol, and vitamin E did not protect against the decrease of the O2 SC. The induced oxidative cellular damage might be related in part to a membrane lipid peroxidative process. These data show that in vivo exposure of mice to normobaric O2 induced lesions in splenic cells manifested under standard culture conditions by a decrease in both SH content and Con A proliferative response. The extent of these alterations could be modulated by variations of the thiol environment. Protection of the SH content correlated with protection of the proliferative response of the O2 SC.