S-Allyl Cysteine Inhibits Activation of Nuclear Factor Kappa B in Human T Cells

Reactive oxygen species are involved in signal transduction pathways leading to nuclear factor kappa B (NF-image) activation which has been implicated in the regulation of gene transcription. We recently reported that a garlic compound, S-allyl cysteine (SAC), protects bovine pulmonary artery endothelial cells from oxidant injury induced by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). In this study we determined the effects of SAC on NF-image activation in human T lymphocytes (Jurkat cells) induced by tumor necrosis factor image (TNF-image) and H2O2. Activated NF-image in nuclear extracts was measured by an electrophoretic mobility shift assay using 32P-labeled probe. SAC consistently exhibited a dose-dependent inhibition of NF-image activation induced by both TNF-image and H2O2. Supershift with specific antibodies to NF-image subunits confirmed that the inducible retarded bands observed in the EMSA are p65-p50 heterodimer of the NF-image protein. Our data suggest that SAC may act via antioxidant mechanisms to block NF-image activation in Jurkat cells.