Figure 3.

GSH depletion of APC and its effect on T cell cytokine production are rapidly reversed by conditions that allow recovery of GSH. Erythrocyte-free spleen cells from BALB/c mice were treated in vitro with 1.6 mM DEM in Click’s medium for 15 min and washed, and their intracellular GSH levels were determined. Points represent the mean GSH levels after 0–5 h in Click’s medium at 37°C as a percent of untreated controls ± SEM for six replicates. APC were untreated (hatched bars) or treated (solid bars) with 1.6 mM DEM for 15 min, and cultures were established (either after 5 h incubation in Click’s medium at 37°C or immediately after treatment) with purified T cells from DO11.10 mice and OVA. T cell proliferative, IFN-γ, and IL-12 responses were determined at 72 h in cultures established with APC immediately after DEM treatment and in cultures in which DEM-treated APC were incubated in Click’s medium for 5 h at 37°C before the addition of T cells and OVA. Asterisks indicate significantly diminished (P < 0.005) cytokine levels.