Efeito do ácido gálico sobre a apoptose e formação de NETs de neutrófilos

Abstract

The first line of defense of organism is made by phagocytic cells such as neutrophils. Apoptosis and NETosis of neutrophils are two major mechanisms of programmed cell death that differ in their morphological characteristics and effects on the immune system. Apoptosis is characterized by nuclear chromatin packaging and nuclear fragments and this death can be delayed by the presence of pathogens or chemicals components such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Neutrophils have other antimicrobial strategy, called neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), which contributes to the elimination and control of the pathogen. NETosis is induced by infection, inflammation or trauma and represents an innate immune activation mechanism. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of Gallic acid (GA) in the control of apoptosis and release NETs. The results show that GA decreased the anti-apoptotic effect of LPS, blocked the induction of NETs and prevented the formation of free radicals induced by LPS. These findings demonstrate that the GA is a novel therapeutic agent for decreasing the exacerbated response of the body against an infectious agent.