All-trans retinoic acid regulates intracellular redox status in MARC-145 cells infected with porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus

Authors: YAN LIN, DE WU

Abstract: A relationship between oxidative stress, and apoptosis and/or death has been suggested for many years. The objective of this study was to determine the influence of all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) on the cell survival rate and the antioxidant defense system. MARC-145 cells were treated with ATRA after infection with porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV). The cell survival rate, total antioxidant capability (T-AOC), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-P_X) activity, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity, and glutathione (GSH) content were determined in samples collected from cells incubated with ATRA for 24 or 48 h. The results show that PRRSV infection induced a marked decrease in the cell survival rate, SOD activity, GSH-P_X activity, GSH content, and T-AOC, and increased hydrogen radical and LDH activity. ATRA supplementation significantly (P < 0.05) increased the cell survival rate, T-AOC, SOD activity, GSH-PX activity, and GSH content, and decreased hydrogen radical production and LDH activity, indicating that ATRA obviously strengthened the cellular antioxidant defense system, improving radical scavenging activity and regulating the intracellular dynamic equilibrium between the oxidation and antioxidation systems. Enhanced antioxidant capacity may explain why the cells treated with ATRA had increased resistance to PRRSV infection. Lower cell survival rates after PRRSV infection might have been due to impaired antioxidant capacity. The present findings suggest that the redox state may play a crucial role in the cell survival rate, and that exogenously administered ATRA may be of value in the treatment of PRRSV infection.

Keywords: All-trans retinoic acid, PRRSV, antioxidant capacity

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