Antioxidants can prevent vesicular stomatitis virus induced-cell death in vero cells.

D.A. RIVA, M.C. RÍOS DE MOLINA, I. ROCCHETTA, F.C. COULUMBIÉ AND S. E. MERSICH.

Buenos Aires

Congreso; Society of Free Radical Research International (SFRR), XII Biennial Meeting,; 2004

Society of Free Radical Research International (SFRR)

Vesiculovirus causes infections in cattle, a member of the Rhabdoviridae family, causes disease in livestock and induces apoptosis in mammalian cells. We show that two antioxidants, butylated hydroxyanisol (BHA) and ebselen (Ebs), as well as sulfasalazine (Sul- an NF-kappa B inhibitor), protected Vero cells, when cell viability was determined. The intracellular level of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) peaked at 8 h post infection (p.i.) in VSV-infected cells, while apoptosis occurred at 12 h p.i. When BHA and sul were included in the medium for 8 h after infection, TBARS production was 36% and 42% respectively in comparison to control, infected cells. UV-inactivated viruses and cyclohexamide cell-treatment exhibited no rise in TBARS production, suggesting that viral replication and the novo protein synthesis are being required. Both, a decrease in polyunsaturated fatty acids and an increase in the protein carbonyl content were observed throughout virus infection. Our results indicate that oxidative stress in VSV-infected Vero cells is an early event in the apoptotic process. Thus, cytoprotection by antioxidants could be valuable tools in cell culture industry where cell death limits productivity and could also become a therapeutic treatment to fight the disease.