Fundamental research for the countermeasure against viral infectious disease by oral intake of ・-carotene

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The intracellular level of reduced glutathione (GSH) in immune cells has influences on the immunity. In the present study, we focused on the effect of carotenoids such as ・-carotene on the properties of glutamate-cysteine-ligase (GCL) which is involved in GSH synthesis. Experiments with a GCL specific inhibitor, a translation inhibitor, and a transcription inhibitor revealed that certain caroteonids including ・-carotene induce de novosynthesis of GCL accompanied with the up-regulation of transcription, which resulted in the enhancement of the intracellular GSH level.