Characterizing the Effects of Glutathione as an Immunoadjuvant in the Treatment of Tuberculosis

Abstract

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb) is the etiological agent that is responsible for causing tuberculosis (TB), which continues to affect millions of people worldwide, with an ever-increasing resistance to antibiotics. We tested the synergistic effects of N-acetyl cysteine (NAC, the precursor molecule for the synthesis of glutathione) and individual first-line antibiotics typically given for the treatment of TB such as Isoniazid (INH), Rifampicin (RIF), Ethambutol (EMB) and Pyrazinamide (PZA) to improve the ability of macrophages to control intracellular M. tb infection. Glutathione (GSH), a pleiotropic antioxidant molecule has been previously shown to display both antimycobacterial and immune-enhancing effects. Our results indicate that there was not only an increase in beneficial immunomodulatory effects, but a greater reduction in the intracellular viability of M. tb when macrophages were treated with the combination of antibiotics (INH/RIF/EMB or PZA) and NAC.