Effect of glycyrrhizic acid on the membrane structures of mononuclear cells in pulmonary tuberculosis patients receiving anti-tuberculosis chemotherapy

Abstract

The objective of the study: to assess the lipid profile of membranes of peripheral blood mononuclear cells in the pulmonary tuberculosis patients before and after the intensive phase of chemotherapy, including the effect of glycyrrhizic acid.Subjects and methods. 384 pulmonary tuberculosis patients of both genders in the age from 25 to 60 years old were enrolled into the study: 308 patients were treated by regimen I during the intensive phase of chemotherapy, and 76 had the intensive phase with regimen I and glycyrrhizic acid. The control group included 36 healthy volunteers at the age from 24 to 58 years old. The lipid profile of mononuclear cell membranes was evaluated in peripheral blood of the patients. Phospholipids were fractioned into classes using continuous-flow thin-layer chromatography. The following fractions were studied: total lysophospholipids, sphingomyelin, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylethanolamine.Results. Prior to the start of chemotherapy, the changes in the ratio of main classes of phospholipids of mononuclear cell membranes in peripheral blood was documented in pulmonary tuberculosis patients versus those healthy. Chemotherapy resulted in the accumulation of membrane disruptive lysophospholipids with simultaneous reduction of phosphatidylcholine level. Treating patients with glycyrrhizic acid allowed diminishing (p < 0.05) the negative effect of chemotherapy on lipid membranes of mononuclear cells and improving the ratio of main fractions of membrane phospholipids (p < 0.05). When glycyrrhizic acid was added to the chemotherapy regimen, the sputum conversion rate by the 2nd month of the intensive phase increased from 61 to 73% (p < 0.05).

Keywords

• липидный спектр мембран
• мононуклеары
• глицирризиновая кислота
• туберкулез