Superoxide production by digitonin-stimulated guinea pig granulocytes. The effects of N-ethyl maleimide, divalent cations; and glycolytic and mitochondrial inhibitors on the activation of the superoxide generating system

Na+/H+ exchange and the regulation of intracellular pH in polymorphonuclear leukocytes

1. Regulation of the cytoplasmic pH(pHi) was studied in quiescent and activated human neutrophils. Acid-loaded unstimulated cells regulate pHi by activating an electroneutral Na+/H+ exchange. 2. When activated, neutrophils undergo a biphasic change in pHi: an acidification followed by an alkalinization. The latter is due to stimulation of the Na+/H+ antiport. 3. The acidification, which is magnified in Na+-free or amiloride-containing media, is associated with net H+ efflux from the cells. 4. A good correlation exists between cytoplasmic acidification and superoxide generation: inhibition of the latter by adenosine, deoxyglucose or pertussis toxin also inhibits the pHi changes. 5. Moreover, acidification is absent in chronic granulomatous disease patients, which cannot generate superoxide. 6. Regulation of pHi is essential for neutrophil function. The oxygen dependent bactericidal activity is inhibited upon cytoplasmic acidification. This can result from impairment of Na+/H+ exchange, or from influx of exogenous acid equivalents. 7. The latter mechanism may account for the inability of neutrophils to resolve bacterial infections in abscesses, which are generally made acidic by accumulation of organic acids that are by-products of bacterial anaerobic metabolism.

The effects of in vivo antibiotics on neutrophil (PMN) activity in rabbits with peritonitis

Antibiotics play an important role in helping the host fight infection; however, the direct cellular effect of antibiotics on polymorphonuclear cells remains undefined. Adherence, chemotaxis, phagocytosis, and superoxide anion production are important steps in the cascade of events initiated by the polymorphonucleocyte in bacterial killing. Previous studies have shown inhibition as well as stimulation of neutrophil antibacterial therapy by antibiotics. Peritoneal and blood polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) respond differently to peritonitis and to external agents. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of in vivo clindamycin and netilmicin on infected rabbit peritoneal and blood polymorphonuclear adhesiveness, phagocytosis, chemotaxis, and superoxide anion production. Peritoneal and blood PMNs were obtained from rabbits which had undergone appendiceal devascularization 18 hr earlier: antibiotics were administered intramuscularly 1 hr prior to appendectomy and every 8 hr postoperatively for 5 days; these PMNs were compared to infected rabbits which did not receive antibiotics. Clindamycin and netilmicin in vivo cause significant inhibition of phagocytosis, peritoneal adhesiveness, and, when used in combination, blood adhesiveness and peritoneal superoxide anion production. No effects were seen on chemotaxis. Based on this data we conclude that antibiotics, while vitally important in fighting infections, may in and of themselves be agents of immunosuppression at the cellular level.

The effect of dexamethasone in vivo on blood and peritoneal neutrophils (PMN) in rabbits with peritonitis

Neutrophils play an essential role in the host's defense against infection. Our previous studies have shown that blood and peritoneal neutrophils (PMN) have different basal activities and responses to infection. We also demonstrated that peritonitis produces divergent changes in the cellular function of PMN both in the blood and in the peritoneal fluid. Steroids are well documented to cause immunosuppression both clinically and, more variably, at the cellular level. Understanding the mechanism of steroid-induced immunosuppression in surgical infection may impart insight on the management of this condition. Using a model of surgical peritonitis, we studied the effects of immunosuppression on rabbit blood and peritoneal PMN. Blood and peritoneal PMNs were harvested after the development of fibrinopurulent peritonitis. Rabbits were divided into two groups: immunosuppressed and control. Immunosuppression was accomplished by intramuscular injection of dexamethasone (2 mg/kg) for 10 days preoperatively and 10 days postoperatively. Purified PMNs were studied for phagocytosis, adhesiveness, superoxide anion production and chemotaxis from both groups. Survival was computed from the number of days the rabbit survived after the operation up to a total of 10 at which time they were sacrificed. Immunosuppression with dexamethasone resulted in inhibition of peritoneal phagocytosis and peritoneal adhesiveness; there were no changes in blood adhesiveness nor blood phagocytosis. Also, there was no significant change in superoxide anion production nor in chemotaxis. Survival of the rabbits was significantly reduced when treated with dexamethasone.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Decrease of cellular ATP by dihexanoylglycerol may limit responses to protein kinase C activation

1,2-sn-Dihexanoylglycerol (HHG) reduced the ATP content of HL-60 cells. This concentration-related (10-100 microM) effect reached a maximum of over 90%, was enantiomerically specific and not accompanied by release of lactate dehydrogenase. Oleoylacetylglycerols (3-100 microM) had no effect on ATP levels while phorbol dibutyrate (PDBu, 0.01-1 microM) decreased ATP content of HL-60 cells by up to 40%. Responses stimulated by HHG became limited as the concentration was increased above 10 microM, this being manifest as either a low maximum response compared to PDBu (superoxide release) or a bell-shaped concentration-effect curve (degranulation). HHG (30-100 microM) inhibited PDBu-stimulated superoxide release, this inhibition being enantiomerically specific. It is probable that the effect of HHG on ATP content impairs cellular responses mediated through protein kinase C activation.

Comparative study on the stimulation of superoxide production in guinea-pig eosinophils by the calcium ionophore A23187

The effect of calcium and/or magnesium on O2- production by guinea-pig eosinophils stimulated by the calcium ionophore A23187 was studied in comparison to neutrophils. In the absence of calcium, A23187 did not stimulate O2- production in resting eosinophils and neutrophils, regardless of the presence of extracellular magnesium. The A23187-induced O2- production by both cells increased linearly with extracellular Ca2+ concentrations. However, the concentration of Ca2+ required for maximum O2- production in eosinophils was about 10-times lower than that required of neutrophils. The addition of Mg2+ strongly inhibited O2- production, especially in eosinophils at low Ca2+ concentrations. The intracellular Ca2+ concentration was lower in eosinophils than in neutrophils in the resting state, and the enhancement of the intracellular Ca2+ concentration in response to A23187 was much lower in eosinophils than in neutrophils. The activation of the NADPH-dependent O2(-)-forming enzyme (NADPH oxidase) in eosinophils depended on extracellular calcium, as observed in O2- production. However, the NADPH oxidase activity in the particulate fraction from A23187-stimulated eosinophils was only slightly affected by the addition of divalent cations or EDTA. The compound W-7 (N-(6-aminohexyl)-5-chloro-1-naphthalenesulfonamide hydrochloride), a calmodulin antagonist, significantly inhibited O2- production by both cells. On the other hand, the compound H-7 (1-(5-isoquinolinesulfonyl)-2-methylpiperazine dihydrochloride), a protein kinase C antagonist, was less effective on O2- production than was W-7. H-7 had little effect on O2- production of eosinophils. These findings suggest that NADPH oxidase might be activated by a smaller Ca2+ concentration through the calmodulin-dependent reaction. This was not observed with protein kinase C, at least in eosinophils.

Depressed superoxide radical generation by neutrophils from patients with rheumatoid arthritis and neutropenia: correlation with neutrophil reactive IgG

Neutrophils of 31 patients with neutropenia and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have been studied to assess their ability to generate superoxide radicals (O-2) on activation. Seventeen patients had classical Felty's syndrome and 14 presumed chrysotherapy related neutropenia. Results were compared with those from age and sex matched controls with uncomplicated RA and from normal subjects. Neutrophils from patients with Felty's syndrome had a significantly reduced ability to generate superoxide radicals when compared with the other three groups. In addition, serum levels of IgG polymorphonuclear leucocyte binding activity (IgG PBA) were also raised in the group with Felty's syndrome. A statistically significant inverse correlation existed between O-2 generation and IgG PBA. It is concluded that neutrophil reactive IgG may have an important role in both quantitative and qualitative defects in neutrophil function in Felty's syndrome.

Effects of gold compounds on function of phagocytic cells. Comparative inhibition of activated polymorphonuclear leukocytes and monocytes from rheumatoid arthritis and control subjects

The effect of sodium aurothiomalate and auranofin on the generation of superoxide anions (O2-) by polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNLs) and adherent mononuclear phagocytic cells (AMNCs) has been investigated. Sodium aurothiomalate at final concentrations of 1, 10, and 100 micrograms Au/ml and auranofin ranging from 0.1 to 2.0 micrograms Au/ml were used in the reactions involving all cell types. Results have been compared between cells drawn from normal controls and patients with active rheumatoid disease. The effect of gold compounds on both cell types was assessed following activation by phorbol myristate acetate (1 X 10(-8) M) and N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (1 X 10(-4) M) using a cytochrome c reduction method. Sodium aurothiomalate at the maximum concentration modestly inhibited O2- generation by PMNLs but not AMNCs. Auranofin inhibits O2- generation by both cell types. Inhibition of cells from patients with rheumatoid arthritis was greater than that seen with cells from normal controls.

Human neutrophils permeabilized with digitonin respond with lysosomal enzyme release when exposed to micromolar levels of free calcium

We have recently reported that human neutrophils can be permeabilized with the cholesterol complexing agent saponin and that these cells can be induced to secrete the granule enzyme lysozyme in response to micromolar levels of free calcium. We now report that digitonin can be used in place of saponin and that it has several advantages. Permeabilization of human neutrophils was accomplished with 10 micrograms/ml digitonin in a high potassium medium. Normally impermeant solutes such as [14C]sucrose and inulin [14C]carboxylic acid gained access to one half of the intracellular water space marked with [3H]H2O. Between 30 and 100% of the cytoplasmic enzyme, lactate dehydrogenase, leaked from the intracellular space. The permeabilization process and calcium-triggered granule secretion were critically dependent upon temperature, time and digitonin concentration. Permeabilized neutrophils secreted beta-glucuronidase, lysozyme and vitamin B-12 binding-protein, constituents of both azurophil and specific granules, when exposed to micromolar levels of free calcium. Release of specific granule constituents appeared to be more sensitive to free calcium than release from azurophil granules. Although the amount of permeabilization varied considerably with each batch of cells, release of these granule markers was a consistent finding. Release of granule markers was accompanied by resealing of the cells to high-molecular-weight (Mr greater than 5000) solutes. Electron microscopic evidence also suggested that granule and plasma membranes were intact following digitonin treatment and that fusion of these membranes occurred in response to calcium. These results suggest that elevation of intracellular free-calcium levels is a sufficient condition for lysosomal enzyme release.

Relationship of superoxide production to cytoplasmic free calcium in human monocytes

Calcium has been proposed as an intracellular second messenger for activation of secretion, phagocytosis, and the oxidative burst of neutrophils. We have examined the role of calcium in human monocyte activation. Concanavalin A (Con A)-stimulated monocytes displayed an increment in cytoplasmic ionized calcium at 31 +/- 6 s and the onset of superoxide production at 61 +/- 9 s. The increase in cytoplasmic calcium invariably preceded the onset of superoxide production. If the external calcium concentration was reduced to less than 28 nM by the addition of 10 mM EGTA, superoxide production was not diminished at 5 min; however, superoxide production decreased thereafter. The Con A-evoked increment in cytoplasmic ionized calcium was blunted upon the addition of EGTA and decreased further with time. Both the production of superoxide and the Con A-evoked increment in cytoplasmic ionized calcium displayed a 50% inhibition after 15 min of calcium depletion and were completely inhibited after 60 min. Total cell calcium fell from 0.7 to 0.5 fmol/cell, and the basal level of ionized calcium fell from 83 to 30 nM after 60 min. Histidine, a strong chelator of divalent cations other than calcium and magnesium, had no effect on monocyte superoxide production or on ionized calcium concentrations, indicating that EGTA inhibition was due to cell calcium depletion. In calcium-depleted cells, Con A did not evoke superoxide production until calcium was restored to the incubation medium. The restoration of calcium to Con A-treated, calcium-depleted monocytes permitted a rapid rise in the cytoplasmic ionized calcium, and the production of superoxide within 9 s. These data suggest that an increase in ionized cytoplasmic calcium is necessary for the activation of monocyte superoxide production by Con A. The rise in ionized calcium in response to Con A results, in part, from an internal redistribution of calcium, which is sufficient to permit superoxide generation.

Comparison of blood and peritoneal neutrophil activity in rabbits with and without peritonitis

The neutrophil (polymorphonuclear cell, or PMN) function is an essential component of the host defense against infection. However, infection itself may alter PMN activity. To investigate both the effects of infection on PMN activity and PMN activity on survival, we evaluated control and infected blood and peritoneal PMN phagocytosis, chemotaxis, and superoxide anion production in rabbits with and without peritonitis. Control blood and peritoneal PMNs were obtained from noninfected rabbits which were subjected to intraperitoneal infusion of sterile hypertonic saline. Infected blood and peritoneal PMNs were obtained from rabbits which had undergone appendiceal devascularization and ligation 18 hr earlier. Phagocytosis was similar in all groups except for a threefold increase in normal peritoneal PMNs. Chemotaxis was inhibited by infection in the blood and peritoneal PMNs. Normal peritoneal PMNs also had decreased chemotaxis. Superoxide anion production was comparable in the infected and control blood; however, both control and infected peritoneal PMNs had elevated superoxide anion production. Of the infected rabbits, four died in 5 days or less. Of the six that lived, two developed intraabdominal abscesses. Blood and peritoneal PMN activity was similar in all rabbits despite their outcome. We conclude that (1) blood and peritoneal PMNs have different basal activities and responses to infection; (2) the milieu of the peritoneal cavity appears to alter the PMNs present; and (3) PMN activity did not predict morbidity or mortality.

Effect of diclofenac sodium, tolfenamic acid and indomethacin on the production of superoxide induced by N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine in normal human polymorphonuclear leukocytes

The effect of three non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, diclofenac, indomethacin and tolfenamic acid, on the production of superoxide (O2-), by normal human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNL) was studied, in vitro. The cells were activated with N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (FMLP) and O2- production was measured as superoxide dismutase inhibitable cytochrome c reduction. Cell viability was checked with assays of liberated LDH. Concentrations of the drugs considerably higher than those of therapeutic plasma were required to inhibit O2- production. The drug concentrations producing a 50% inhibition (IC50) of total O2- production were: diclofenac 2.7 X 10(-4) M, indomethacin 4.0 X 10(-4) M and tolfenamic acid 4.2 X 10(-4) M. At drug concentrations causing a significant suppression of O2- generation, diclofenac showed a slight and tolfenamic acid a marked inhibition of [3H]FMLP binding to its cellular receptor; indomethacin has earlier been shown to inhibit FMLP-binding slightly. No dismutating activity of the drugs could be demonstrated. It is concluded that the inhibition of O2- production is due to a combined effect on FMLP binding and on cellular O2- metabolism. Because of the high drug concentrations required to inhibit O2- production, this phenomenon is obviously of little significance for the anti-inflammatory effect obtained with therapeutic doses of the drugs studied.

Arachidonic acid metabolism in human neutrophils: lack of effect of cyclosporine A

The metabolism of arachidonic acid (AA) in human neutrophils was studied by incorporation of 1-14C-AA, removal of excess 1-14C-AA, and stimulation of radiolabelled cells with A23187. Radiolabelled lipids were quantitated by extraction, thin-layer chromatography, autoradiography, and laser densitometry. Following 5 h of incubation with 1-14C-AA, the maximum amount of radioactivity was located in triglycerides, 70%, and phospholipids, 30%. Activation of the cells with calcium ionophore A23187 led to release of free AA, 58%, whereas AA-metabolites revealed mainly lipoxygenase (arachidonate 5 lipoxygenase, E.C. 1. 13. 11. 34) activity, 5-HETE 13%, LTB4 5%, with only small amounts of cyclooxygenase (prostaglandin synthase, E.C. 1. 14. 99. 1) metabolites, HHT 2%. Intra-assay coefficient of variation for release of metabolites was approximately 15%. A potent immunosuppressive agent, cyclosporine A (CS-A) was shown to be without any effect in AA-release and metabolism. This method is applicable to studies of both basic cell function in human disease and to further immunopharmacological investigations.

Role of enhanced inositol phospholipid metabolism in neutrophil activation

When guinea pig neutrophils were stimulated with chemotactic peptide [formylmethionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLP)], a marked release of lysosomal enzyme and production of superoxide anion were detected. The breakdown of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (TPI) and the subsequent formation of diacylglycerol, phosphatidic acid and free arachidonic acid also occurred during the processes. Ca2+ ionophore A23187 caused an evident secretion of lysosomal enzyme but no superoxide anion production. Ca2+ ionophore also caused TPI breakdown to diacylglycerol although this breakdown was not as significant as that detected by fMLP. The tumor promotor tetradecanoylphorbol acetate (TPA), which is a strong activator of superoxide anion production but not a good stimulator of lysosomal enzyme secretion, did not cause a significant decrease of TPI or arachidonic acid release. Since TPA is known not to increase the intracellular Ca2+ level, these results suggest that lysosomal enzyme secretion is correlated closely with enhanced inositol phospholipid metabolism and Ca2+-dependent processes. On the other hand, superoxide anion production seemed to be caused mainly by Ca2+-independent processes, perhaps by protein kinase-C activation through newly formed diacylglycerol, when neutrophils were activated by chemotactic peptide.

Cytosolic calcium, calcium fluxes, and regulation of alveolar macrophage superoxide anion production

The recently available compound quin-2, which acts as a high affinity fluorescent indicator for calcium in the cytosol, was used to examine the role of calcium mobilization in the alveolar macrophage during the stimulation of 0-2 production by the tripeptide N-formyl norleucyl leucyl phenylalanine (FNLLP). After preloading with quin-2, the production of 0-2 was measured in conjunction with the transfer of 45Ca+2 and changes in quin-2 fluorescence upon stimulation with FNLLP. When cells were maintained in low (10 microM) extracellular calcium medium the presence of 1.5 mM quin-2 in the cytosolic space partially inhibited the rate of 0-2 production upon stimulation by FNLLP. Addition of 1 mM Ca+2 to the medium prior to stimulation rapidly restored the cell's capability to produce 0-2 upon stimulation at rates equal to control and extended the duration of stimulated 0-2 production as well. Quin-2 fluorescence measurements indicated an increase in cytosolic Ca+2 upon stimulation with FNLLP. This increase was lowest under conditions in which 0-2 production was inhibited. The addition of 1 mM Ca+2 to the medium caused by itself a rapid but transient increase in cytosolic Ca+2 as measured with quin-2 without stimulating 0-2 production. This intracellularly redistributed calcium was determined to be the source of the greater increase in cytosolic calcium during stimulation in the presence of high extracellular calcium. Measurements of 45Ca+2 transfer demonstrated a buffering of cytosolic Ca+2 changes by quin-2, which in low calcium medium could deplete calcium stores. It is suggested that this effect, prior to stimulation, was responsible for the mitigated 0-2 response for those cells maintained in low calcium medium, wherein calcium stores could not be replenished. These results suggested that the cell's mechanism for regulating cytosolic and bound calcium concentrations may also play an integral role in its normal mechanism for stimulated 0-2 production. They further support the postulate that the commonly observed rise in the concentration of calcium in the cytosol upon formyl peptide stimulation is a concomitant but nonregulatory event only.

Effect of maleimide derivatives on superoxide-generating system of guinea-pig neutrophils stimulated by different soluble stimuli

The effect of modification of maleimide derivatives on superoxide production by guinea-pig neutrophils induced by a variety of different soluble stimuli was studied. Pretreatment of neutrophils by showdomycin, a very slowly penetrating-SH reagent, did not affect superoxide production by all of the stimuli used, suggesting no exposure of sulfhydryl groups involved in superoxide-generating system on the cell surface. Pretreatment with N-ethylmaleimide (MalNEt), a considerably penetrating-SH reagent, markedly inhibited superoxide production stimulated by formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (HCO-Met-Leu-Phe), cytochalasin E or digitonin, but not superoxide production stimulated by the ionophore A23187 or sodium fluoride. The oxygen consumption stimulated by HCO-Met-Leu-Phe or cytochalasin E was inhibited by MalNEt pretreatment, whereas the oxygen consumption stimulated by A23187 was not inhibited by MalNEt. The inhibition by MalNEt of superoxide production did not appear to be due to the interference with binding of the affected stimuli, since MalNEt pretreatment did not inhibit the release of lysozyme, granule enzyme, induced by HCO-Met-Leu-Phe, cytochalasin E or digitonin. Particulate fractions from MalNEt-pretreated neutrophils before exposure to the stimulus exhibited the inhibition of the enhancement of NADPH-dependent superoxide production induced by HCO-Met-Leu-Phe, cytochalasin E or digitonin, but not A23187, whereas treatment of neutrophils with MalNEt after activation by these stimuli had no effect on the NADPH oxidase activity in particulate fractions. Direct exposure of particulate fractions from A23187-stimulated neutrophils to MalNEt showed no actual susceptibility of NADPH oxidase to MalNEt inhibition. These findings suggest that the inhibitory effect of MalNEt is caused by the modification of the process of the activation by the affected stimuli of the superoxide system, probably NADPH oxidase and that at least two mechanisms exist for activation of superoxide-generating system in guinea-pig neutrophils on the basis of the susceptibility to MalNEt inhibition.

Superoxide release and intracellular free calcium of calcium-depleted human neutrophils stimulated by N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine

The superoxide release and the change in the intracellular free calcium ions on stimulation with N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine were studied in human neutrophils deprived of divalent cations by treatment of the cells with ionophore A23187 in the presence of EGTA. The depleted cells showed no release of superoxide on stimulation with the chemotactic peptide when calcium ions were absent in the medium, but the activity was completely recovered when the cells were preincubated with calcium for at least 3 min before the stimulation. The cells pretreated with Cd2+ showed slight activity of the release, but no recovery was observed with other divalent cations such as Mg2+, Sr2+, Co2+, Ba2+ and Zn2+. The recovery with calcium ions was dependent on the time of the addition relative to the time of the stimulation with the chemotactic peptide: a simultaneous addition of both calcium and the peptide elicited about half of the full activity, while no release was observed when calcium was added later than 2 min after the stimulation with the peptide, though a marked elevation of the intracellular free calcium monitored by quin-2 fluorescence was found. Comparison of the time-courses of the superoxide release and the change in the fluorescence suggest that, besides the elevation of intracellular free calcium, a transient reaction which is also dependent on calcium is required for the full induction of the superoxide-producing activity.

Calcium exchange and ionized cytoplasmic calcium in resting and activated human monocytes

We have performed a comprehensive study of calcium tracer flux, distribution, content, and ionized cytoplasmic calcium during monocyte activation. A model of monocyte calcium was developed from 45Ca uptake and exodus curves which indicated that cell calcium was partitioned between three compartments. The magnitude of the time constants for each pool lead us to propose cellular locations for these three compartments: a surface plasma membrane pool, a cytoplasmic pool, and an organelle pool. 45Ca uptake and exodus experiments were analyzed using a nonlinear least squares fit of compartmental exchange rates and sizes. The production of superoxide was used as a reflection of the state of activation of the monocytes treated with Concanavalin A (Con A). We found that Con A-treated monocytes have an increase in the calcium exchange rate with the cytoplasmic pool from 0.04 to 0.07/min (P less than 0.05), and an increase in the size of the cytoplasmic pool from 0.08 to 0.13 pmol/cell (P less than 0.05). There were no significant changes in the exchange rates or sizes associated with either of the other two compartments. The cytoplasmic ionized calcium was measured with the fluorescent probe, Quin 2, which indicated a resting level of 83 nM free calcium in unadhered monocytes. Con A stimulation caused a doubling of the cytoplasmic free calcium to 163 nM within 45 s. This increment in cytoplasmic free calcium preceded the onset of superoxide following Con A treatment. These studies indicate that Con A binding to the plasma membrane increases the monocyte plasma membrane permeability to calcium. External calcium enters the cell at an increased rate and contributes to both internally bound and free calcium. The magnitude of the increase in free calcium is proportional to the concentration of Con A and stimulates calcium extrusion via the calcium transport ATPase. Moreover, there is an increased concentration of ionized cytoplasmic calcium which has the potential to interact with other cellular regulators that modulate cell activation and superoxide production.

Adenosine triphosphate-dependent calcium pump in the plasma membrane of guinea pig and human neutrophils

Changes in cytosolic free Ca may function as a second messenger in neutrophils. Since the plasma membrane seems to be a major regulator of intracellular Ca in many cells, we characterized an energy-dependent Ca transport system in plasma membrane-enriched fractions ("podosomes") from phorbol myristate acetate-stimulated guinea pig and human neutrophils. The active Ca transport system in guinea pig podosomes exhibited a high affinity for Ca (Michaelis constant [Km]Ca 280 +/- 120 nM) and a maximum velocity of 0.83 nmol Ca/mg protein per min. Uptake showed an absolute requirement for Mg ATP (Km ATP 67 microM), whereas other trinucleotides were inactive. Ca uptake was optimal at pH 7, was azide insensitive and temperature dependent. Vanadium, an inhibitor of the Ca/Mg ATPase of heart sarcolemma, inhibited Ca pump activity by 50% at 1 microM. Ca transport was not affected in a NaCl-containing medium, an observation arguing against the presence of a Na/Ca exchange system. Calmodulin at 0.5-10 micrograms/ml stimulated the Ca pumping activity of EGTA-washed podosomes. Calmodulin depletion decreased the affinity of the Ca pump for Ca (Km Ca 2.07 microM) and its readdition restored it (Km Ca 0.55 microM). ATP-dependent Ca transport by podosomes and phagocytic vesicles was inactivated by exposure to trypsin or to the nonpenetrating sulfhydryl reagent rho-chloromercuribenzene sulfonate. Human podosomes had a Ca uptake system with properties similar to those of the guinea pig. These findings demonstrate the presence of a Ca pump in the neutrophil plasma membrane, which is active at physiological concentrations of free cytosolic Ca. By changing Ca concentrations at the cell periphery, this pump could control various motile functions of the neutrophil, such as locomotion or degranulation.

Triphenyltin chloride inhibits superoxide production by human neutrophils stimulated with a surface active agent

Treatment of human neutrophils with triphenyltin chloride (TPTCl)-inhibited superoxide (O-2) production stimulated with phorbol myristate acetate (PMA). TPTCl was more potent as inhibitor of O-2 production than other phenyltin compounds. The O-2 production by the xanthine oxidase-acetaldehyde system was not inhibited by TPTCl. This finding indicates that TPTCl does not itself react with O-2. Furthermore, TPTCl did not influence the isolated NADPH oxidase at all, though O-2 production of neutrophils stimulated with PMA in the presence of TPTCl was inhibited. These results indicate that TPTCl inhibits the activation process of the O-2 generating system.

Effect of maleimide derivatives, sulfhydryl reagents, on stimulation of neutrophil superoxide anion generation with concanavalin A

Using maleimide derivatives with relatively rare side reactions, their effect on stimulation of O-2 production by guinea-pig neutrophils with Con A was studied. Showdomycin, a very slowly penetrating agent, did not affect O-2 production whereas NEM, a rapidly penetrating agent, markedly inhibited O-2 production without interference with binding of Con A to cells. Particulate fractions from neutrophils stimulated with Con A showed markedly increased NADPH-dependent O-2 production compared with fractions from unstimulated cells. Treatment of neutrophils with NEM before exposure to Con A inhibited the enhancement of NADPH-dependent O-2 production of particulate fractions by Con A. However, particulate fractions from Con A-stimulated and unstimulated cells hardly exhibited reduced NADPH oxidase activity after direct exposure to NEM. Treatment of neutrophils with NEM after activation by Con A had no effect on NADPH-dependent O-2 production of particulate fractions. These results indicate that NEM inhibits the activation process of the O-2-generating enzyme, probably NADPH oxidase with Con A.

Depolarization and increased conductance precede superoxide release by concanavalin A-stimulated rat alveolar macrophages

Rat alveolar macrophages release superoxide into the extracellular medium when stimulated by concanavalin A. This process, the respiratory burst, is characterized by a delay between binding of the stimulus and release of superoxide. It has been proposed that a key event that occurs during this delay period is the alteration of membrane electrical potential. Microelectrode impalement was used to directly measure electrical properties of the plasma membrane. Upon addition of concanavalin A, the membrane potential depolarized 21%, and membrane electrical resistance decreased 16%. Parallel chemical measurement of superoxide release indicated that these changes in electrical properties precede the release of superoxide.

Activation of the respiratory burst of guinea pig neutrophils by dicyclohexylcarbodiimide

DCCD activates the respiratory burst in guinea pig peritoneal neutrophils. The onset of the superoxide producing activity is preceeded by a lag, inversely proportional to the dose of the stimulant and to the temperature. Initial rates of superoxide formation exhibit different dependencies on the concentrations of DCCD and on temperature. Activation of NAD(P)H oxidase is inhibited by preincubation of neutrophils with 2-deoxyglucose and does not require the presence of extra cellular Ca2+.

Measurement of intracellular calcium ions and oxygen radicals in polymorphonuclear leucocyte-erythrocyte 'ghost' hybrids

Sendai virus induced fusion between rat polymorphonuclear leucocytes and human erythrocyte 'ghosts' containing the Ca-activated photoprotein obelin. This resulted in the production of more than 90% of the cell population as viable hybrid cells, containing active photoprotein. Substances entrapped originally within the 'ghosts' could be transferred to the hybrids as shown morphologically by fluorescence microscopy, and immunologically by the use of antibodies specific for each of the cell types. Resting free Ca2+ in the hybrids was estimated to be 0.1-0.3 microM. The relationship between intracellular Ca2+ within the hybrids and the production by the hybrids of oxygen radicals, as measured by luminol chemiluminescence, was investigated. The Ca ionophore A23187 stimulated both a rise in intracellular Ca2+ and oxygen radical production, the maximum rate of oxygen radical production being dependent upon the intracellular Ca2+ concentration. Complement activation at the cell surface, chemotactic peptide, and concanavilin A stimulated a rise in intracellular Ca2+, each with different characteristics: complement activation increased intracellular Ca2+ to 8 microM for at least 60 sec; chemotactic peptide raised it to approximately 0.6 microM for a prolonged period (at least 10 min) and concanavilin A stimulated a transient (t1/2 = approximately 80 sec) rise to approximately 0.6 microM. Un-opsinized particles, latex beads (diam. approximately equal to 1 micron), which stimulate oxygen radical production, did not produce a detectable rise in intracellular Ca2+. Intracellular EGTA (approximately, 2.5 mM) inhibited both the oxygen radical production and the rises in intracellular Ca2+ induced by chemotactic peptide and concanavilin A, and delayed both the rise in intracellular Ca2+ and the onset of oxygen radical production induced by complement. Intracellular EGTA had no effect on oxygen radical production stimulated by latex particles. An increase in intracellular Ca2+ triggered oxygen radical production by the hybrids in response to the following stimuli: concanavilin A, chemotactic peptide, complement and the Ca ionophore A23187. However, the extent and duration of the increase in cytoplasmic Ca2+ was different for each stimulus, and the apparent relationship between cytoplasmic Ca2+ and oxygen radical production was different for each stimulus. Un-opsinized particles stimulated oxygen radical production without requiring a rise in intracellular Ca2+ concentration.

Effects of gold compounds on the function of phagocytic cells. II. Inhibition of superoxide radical generation by tripeptide-activated polymorphonuclear leukocytes

The effect of sodium aurothiomalate and triethylphosphine gold on the generation of superoxide radicals by chemotactic tripeptide-activated polymorphonuclear leukocytes has been investigated using a cytochrome C reduction technique. Neither gold compound inhibited the binding of the tripeptide to cells. Sodium aurothiomalate in concentrations ranging from 1 to 100 micrograms/ml produced mild, nonsignificant inhibition of the generation of superoxide radicals. In contrast, triethylphosphine gold at a concentration of 0.25 microgram/ml was associated with a mild enhancement of superoxide radical production, but the enhancement was not statistically significant. At concentrations of 1.25 micrograms/ml and above, there was a profound inhibition of superoxide radical production by these activated cells. Since the products of the respiratory burst, including superoxide, are thought to be inflammatory mediators, it is postulated that the inhibition of superoxide radical generation by gold compounds may be another mechanism by which the compounds modulate their antiinflammatory effects in patients with rheumatoid disease.

The role of calcium in the initiation of superoxide release from alveolar macrophages

The role of calcium in the release of superoxide anion (O2-) was examined in alveolar macrophages after stimulation with the soluble stimuli: concanavalin A (Con A), N-formyl methionyl phenylalanine (FMP), and the calcium ionophore. A23187. The release of O2- by Con A was unaffected over a wide range of extracellular calcium concentrations (20 microM to 3 mM), whereas increasing the extracellular calcium above 2 mM inhibited FMP-stimulated O2- release. In contrast, A23187 did not stimulate O2- release in calcium-free medium (less than or equal to 30 microM). The addition of EGTA (50 microM) to calcium-free medium had no effect on Con A stimulation of O2- release or FMP-stimulated O2- release. These results suggest that, for the three soluble stimuli, there are different roles for Ca+2 in the activation and transmission of stimulatory signals across the cell membrane. Con A- or FMP-stimulated calcium efflux from calcium-loaded cells in either calcium-free medium or 0.5 mM calcium-containing medium. In calcium-free medium, FMP transiently retarded 45Ca+2 uptake, while in 0.5 mM calcium-containing medium, FMP transiently stimulated 45Ca+2 uptake. For either Con A or FMP, calcium efflux preceded O2- release by 30-45 sec. Quinine, an agent that blocks membrane hyperpolarization in macrophages, completely blocked O2- release by concanavalin A or FMP and inhibited 45CA+2 efflux by 50% or more for both agents. These results support the hypothesis that redistribution of cellular Ca+2 is one of the initial steps leading to the release of O2-.

Energy metabolism of human neutrophils during phagocytosis

Detailed quantitative studies were performed on the generation and utilization of energy by resting and phagocytosing human neutrophils. The ATP content was 1.9 fmol/cell, was constant during rest, and was not influenced by the presence or absence of glucose in the medium. The intracellular content of phosphocreatine was less than 0.2 fmol/cell. In the presence of glucose, ATP was generated almost exclusively from lactate produced from glucose taken up from the surrounding medium. The amount of lactate produced could account for 85% of the glucose taken up by the cells, and the intracellular glycosyl store, glycogen, was not drawn upon. The rate of ATP generation as calculated from the rate of lactate production was 1.3 fmol/cell/min. During phagocytosis, there was no measurable increase in glucose consumption or lactate production, and the ATP content fell rapidly to 0.8 fmol/cell. This disappearance of ATP was apparently irreversible since no corresponding increase in ADP or AMP was observed. It therefore appears that this phagocytosis-induced fall in ATP concentration represents all the extra energy utilized in human neutrophils in the presence of glucose. In the absence of glucose, the rate of ATP generation in the resting cell was considerably smaller, 0.75 fmol/cell per min, as calculated from the rate of glycolysis, which is sustained exclusively by glycogenolysis. Under this condition, however, phagocytosis induces significant enhancement of glycogenolysis and the rate of lactate production is increased by 60%, raising the rate of ATP generation to 1.2 fmol/cell per min. Nonetheless, the ATP content drops significantly from 1.9 to 1.0 fmol/cell. Neutrophils from patients with chronic granulomatous disease have the same rate of glycolysis and the same ATP content as normal cells, thus confirming that the defective respiration of these cells does not affect their energy metabolism.

Effect of cyclooxygenase inhibitors and protease inhibitors on phorbol-induced stimulation of oxygen consumption and superoxide production by rat pulmonary macrophages

Oxygen consumption and superoxide anion production by pulmonary macrophages are both increased by phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) but the two processes have been separated using protease inhibitors and cyclooxygenase inhibitors. Pretreatment with the protease inhibitors (L-1-tosylamido-2-phenylethylchloromethyl ketone (TPCK) and N-alpha-p-tosyl-L-lysine chloromethyl ketone (TLCK), as well as with the cyclooxygenase inhibitors acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) and ibuprofen (IBU), inhibited the stimulation of superoxide production and oxygen consumption by phorbol myristate acetate. However, whereas the order of potency for inhibition of stimulation of superoxide production was TPCK greater than TLCK greater than IBU greater than ASA, the order of potency for inhibition of stimulation of oxygen consumption was ASA greater than IBU greater than TPCK = TLCK. Although all four agents were effective inhibitors of PMA-stimulated superoxide production and oxygen consumption when added before PMA, in contrast to the cyclooxygenase inhibitors. TPCK was unable to inhibit oxygen consumption by more than 70-80% regardless of the concentration used, although superoxide generation could be inhibited completely. When added after PMA, ASA did not suppress either oxygen consumption or superoxide production and ibuprofen was only one-half as effective as an inhibitor. TPCK and TLCK, when added after PMA, accelerated the return to basal rates of both oxygen consumption and superoxide production. None of the four agents had any effect on basal superoxide production or oxygen consumption at the concentrations used. The data support the interpretation that both prostaglandin biosynthesis and protease activity may be associated with the activation of the superoxide-generating system of pulmonary macrophages. The consumption of molecular oxygen following stimulation of the cells with phorbol myristate acetate is not due solely to the generation of superoxide, however, since each process is inhibited with different potency by the same group of inhibitors. There appears to be a component of oxygen consumption which results from the activation of cyclooxygenase and, unlike superoxide production, cannot be completely inhibited by treatment with protease inhibitors.

Inhibition of some polymorphonuclear leukocyte functions by ethacrynic acid

Ethacrynic acid (10(-4) M) inhibits exocytosis, phagocytosis and superoxide release in rabbit polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN's). Dihydroethacrynic acid is a much weaker inhibitor of these PMN functions. Though ethacrynic acid inhibits ATPase activity in the PMN, this occur at much higher concentrations than required for inhibition of exocytosis and superoxide release, thus a causal relationship seems unlikely. The same applies to inhibition of ATP generation by ethacrynic acid: the concentration required to decrease ATP level in PMN's is much higher than required for the inhibitory effect on exocytosis. Inhibition of exocytosis by ethacrynic acid can be prevented by dithiothreitol. It is concluded that vulnerable sulfhydryl groups are involved in the inhibition by ethacrynic acid.

Release of the membrane-calcium and its relation to the superoxide formation by polymorphonuclear leukocytes

The relationship between the intracellular translocation of calcium from the storage pool and the oxidative metabolism was studied. An intracellular calcium-antagonist, TMB-8, inhibited the release of superoxide induced by a calcium ionophore A23187 and the inhibition was relieved by the addition of calcium ions. The release induced by cytochalasin D or by the ingestion of bacteria was similarly inhibited by TMB-8. The mobilization of intracellular divalent cations of leukocytes was monitored by a fluorescent probe, CTC. When the CTC-loaded cells were stimulated with cytochalasin D or E. coli, a fluorescence change ascribable to the release of calcium from the intracellular hydrophobic environment was observed. The dose-response curve of the fluorescence change and that of the superoxide release of th cells were very similar. TMB-8 inhibited both metabolic and fluorescence changes in parallel. The results support the hypothesis that an intracellular translocation of calcium is stimulated the oxidative metabolism of leukocytes.

Polymorphonuclear leucocyte membrane-stimulated oxidative metabolic activity---the effect of divalent cations and cytochalasins

The effect of divalent cations and cytochalasins on the oxidative metabolic response of polymorphonuclear leucocytes (PMNL) following membrane stimulation by opsonized zymosan, phorbol myristate acetate (PMA), digitonin and n-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (FMLP) was investigated using several techniques. For optimal ferricytochrome C reduction, oxygen consumption, luminol- and lucigenin-dependent chemiluminescence by PMNL on exposure to opsonized zymosan, extracellular magnesium was necessary. In contrast FMLP- and digitonin-induced PMNL metabolic activities were less dependent on extracellular magnesium than on calcium. Phorbol myristate acetate-induced PMNL oxidative metabolic activity occurred independently of extracellular magnesium and calcium concentration. Incubation of PMNL with cytochalasins B and E had little effect on PMA-induced metabolic activity, enhanced FMLP-induced metabolic activity but inhibited digitonin-induced metabolic activity. Investigation of zymosan-induced PMNL metabolic activity after incubation with cytochalasins demonstrated a dissociation between the different parameters of metabolic activity measured. The results described in this study support the suggestion that PMNL oxidative metabolism can be activated by at least two different mechanisms depending on the stimulus used, and that these mechanisms can in part be differentiated by their dependence on extracellular divalent cations.

A two-fold effect of L-1-tosylamide-2-phenylethyl chloromethyl ketone on the oxidative metabolism of guinea pig phagocytes

The protease inhibitor, L-1-tosylamide-2-phenylethylchloromethyl ketone (TPCK), stimulated the O2- production, H2O2 generation, oxygen consumption, and the hexose monophosphate shunt of guinea pig peritoneal polymorphs. Other protease inhibitors were not able to stimulate the metabolic burst of these cells. Maximum stimulation was obtained at 100 microM concentration of the compound. No stimulation was seen in human blood polymorphs even at concentrations higher than those effective on guinea pig polymorphs. TPCK also stimulated the oxidative metabolism of guinea pig blood polymorphs and of guinea pig resident peritoneal macrophages. At concentrations which did not stimulate the oxidative metabolism of guinea pig polymorphs, TPCK inhibited the O2- production induced in these cells by treatment with phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) or with other soluble stimuli. Other protease inhibitors also inhibited the respiratory burst induced by PMA. It is concluded that TPCK exerts two effects on the metabolism of guinea pig phagocytes, which are probably mediated by different mechanisms. The inhibitory effect on the PMA-stimulated respiratory burst might be related to the antiprotease activity of TPCK, while the stimulation of the respiratory burst seems to be independent of protease inhibition.

Factors which affect superoxide anion release from rat alveolar macrophages

In order to investigate some of the characteristics of superoxide anion release from alveolar macrophages, the effects of substances known to influence superoxide release from polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) were studied in rat alveolar macrophages. There is a relatively small, but constant, amount of superoxide released from alveolar macrophages at rest. The amount released increases 5- to 6-fold and becomes maximal in about 20-30 min following exposure to unopsonized zymosan particles. The rate of superoxide release is maximal only 2 min after exposure of the cells to particles, i.e., long before particle uptake is complete. In addition to particles, release of superoxide anion can be stimulated by phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA). Lectins and chemotactic factors, which stimulate release in PMN, have little or no effect in alveolar macrophages. Superoxide release during exposure to zymosan appears to be dependent upon extracellular Ca++. Also, the release mechanism can be affected by the addition of cyclic AMP or various protein modifiers to the medium. Since many of these findings differ from those reported by others for PMN, the control of superoxide anion release from alveolar macrophages and PMN is probably different.

Effect of calcium on superoxide production by phagocytic vesicles from rabbit alveolar macrophages

Phagocytic vesicles from rabbit lung macrophages produced superoxide in the presence of NADH or NADPH. At 37 degrees C, these vesicles generated 51+/-7.8 nmol O(2) (-)/min per mg protein in the presence of 0.5 mM NADPH. The apparent K(m) for NADPH and NADH (66 and 266 muM, respectively), the pH optimum for the reaction (6.9), and the cyanide insensitivity were similar to properties of plasma membrane-rich fractions of stimulated polymorphonuclear leukocytes studied by others. The activity of the phagocytic vesicles was trypsin sensitive. The specific superoxide-generating activity of macrophage phagocytic vesicles isolated from cells incubated up to 90 min with phagocytic particles remained constant. Calcium in micromolar concentrations inhibited the NADPH-dependent O(2) (-)-generating activity of phagocytic vesicles. In a physiological ionic medium (100 mM KCl, 2.5 mM MgCl(2), 30 mM imidazole-HCl, pH 6.9), a maximal inhibition of O(2) (-) generation by phagocytic vesicles of 80% was observed at 40 muM free Ca(2+). The half maximum inhibitory effect was at 0.7 muM Ca(2+). Variations of the calcium concentration resulted in rapid and reversible alterations in O(2) (-)-forming activity. Preincubation of phagocytic vesicles in the presence of EGTA rendered their O(2) (-) generation rate in the presence of NADPH insensitive to alterations in the free calcium concentration. This desensitization by low EGTA concentrations (</=100 muM) was reversible by the addition of excess calcium, but desensitization by high EGTA concentrations (>1 mM) was not reversible by the addition of calcium either in the presence or absence of purified rabbit lung macrophage or bovine brain calmodulins. Furthermore, trifluoperazine, a drug that inhibits calmodulin-stimulated reactions, did not alter the activity or the calcium sensitivity of the superoxide-generating system of sensitive phagocytic vesicles. Peripheral plasma membrane vesicles (podosomes) prepared by gentle sonication of macrophages possessed on O(2) (-)-generating system with similar properties to those of phagocytic vesicles. We conclude that the activated O(2) (-)-generating system of rabbit lung macrophages has its initial localization in the plasmalemma and undergoes subsequent internalization into phagocytic vesicles, where it can function for prolonged periods of time. Calcium at concentrations likely to exist in macrophage cytoplasm exerts a regulatory effect on the activated system.

Comparative aspects of oxidative metabolism of neutrophils from human blood and guinea pig peritonea: magnitude of the respiratory burst, dependence upon stimulating agents, and localization of the oxidases

We have compared the subcellular sites of H2O2 and presumably also superoxide-(O2-) production, and certain aspects of metabolic responses (O2 consumption, O2- production) of stimulated neutrophils from human blood and those elicited into guinea pig peritonea. Stimulation was accomplished with either opsonized zymosan or phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA). Striking quantitative differences were observed between these cell types with regard to the increased respiration and O2- production observed during stimulation. These differences were most apparent when opsonized zymosan served as the stimulating agent. They were minimized when the soluble stimulating agent, PMA, was used. With either stimulus, the subcellular sites of H2O2 production were the same for both types of neutrophils, i.e., the plasmalemma and phagosomal membranes. No H2O2 production could be detected cytochemically in the absence of stimulation. Treatment of both unstimulated human blood and elicited guinea pig peritoneal neutrophils with the nonpenetrating, covalently linking reagent, p-diazobenzenesulfonic acid, failed to diminish O2- production upon subsequent stimulation, in contrast to a previous report. These data are discussed in terms of the possible cytological arrangements of the respiratory enzyme(s), and the different modes of stimulation of neutrophil metabolism by various agents. Ancillary data on elicited mouse peritoneal neutrophils are presented.