Modification of redox processes in astroglial cells induced by microbial and viral infections.

Background: The authors hypothesized that the cell redox state might be modified during microbial and viral infections. To detect and evaluate changes in astroglial cell redox state, rat C6 glioma cells after exposure to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or after herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) inoculation were used. Redox state modification of glioma cells was determined by the change in menadione-induced superoxide yield.

Effects of peroxynitrite and lipopolysaccharide on mitotic activity of C6 glioma cells.

Peroxynitrite is one of the most potent neurotoxic agents with multiple targets in neurons and glial cells. This study addressed a question of whether peroxynitrite-mediated cytotoxicity can be prevented by Escherichia coli lypopolisaccharide (LPS) due to its mitogenic activity towards C6 glioma cells. A number of characteristic morphological changes (processes impairments, nuclei modifications, cytoplasm vacuolization) and apoptotic cells were observed in the cell culture after 24-h treatment with 3-morpholinosyndnonimine (SIN-1), a well-known donor of peroxynitrite.