Reactive oxygen species elevations in human immune cell subsets during sepsis are mitigated by norepinephrine and N-acetylcysteine

Figure 4 N-acetylcysteine reduces reactive oxygen species levels in patients stimulated with lipopolysaccharide and hydrogen peroxide in CD3+ and CD14+ cells. A–F: Representative histograms of reactive oxygen species (ROS) fluorescence intensity in CD3+ and CD14+ peripheral blood mononuclear cells from control patients following stimulation with lipopolysaccharide (100 ng/mL) or hydrogen peroxide (10 μmol/L), with or without co-treatment with N-acetylcysteine (10 mmol/L); G and H: Quantification of ROS levels (mean ± SD) in CD3+ and CD14+ cells from 3 independent control donors. All experiments were conducted in biological duplicate. Statistical analysis: Two-way analysis of variance with Bonferroni post hoc correction. ^aP < 0.05, ^bP < 0.01, ^cP < 0.001. H₂O₂: Hydrogen peroxide; LPS: Lipopolysaccharide; NAC: N-acetylcysteine; ROS: Reactive oxygen species.