Tiopronin (2-mercaptopropionylglycine) has chemokinetic and chemotactic properties for polymorphonuclear leukocytes

N-acetylcysteine causes a transient stimulation of neutrophil migration

Random migration of rabbit peritoneal neutrophils was enhanced in a chemokinetic way by N-acetylcysteine (NAC) in a small concentration range (10-400 microM). The enhancement was due to the cysteine moiety in the molecule, because cysteine equally caused a stimulation of random migration. The stimulating effect of NAC or cysteine largely disappeared when cells were preincubated with NAC or cysteine for 30 min before submission to chemotaxis, indicating that desensitization occurs. The stimulating effect of NAC was dependent on extracellular calcium. Because the Ca2+-dependence of migration by electroporated cells differed from that of intact cells, and because calcium channel blockers inhibited the effect of NAC, the calcium-dependent target is probably located inside the cell rather than on the cell surface. In contrast with fMLP, NAC did not cause an upregulation of CD11b expression of cells in suspension. Inhibitors of guanylate cyclase and of cGMP-dependent protein kinase (G-kinase) inhibited stimulation of migration by NAC, suggesting that cGMP played a decisive role in the stimulatory effect of NAC.

The effect of sodium aurothiomalate on stimulated and non-stimulated migration by human neutrophils: the role of cyclic GMP

Preincubation of human neutrophils with aurothiomalate had little effect on random migration or chemotactic migration towards the chemotactic peptide fMLP. However, a strong enhancement of migration was observed when aurothiomalate was present in a concentration gradient; the effect of the drug was chemotactic rather than chemokinetic. Thiomalate also caused a chemotactic enhancement of migration but here a tenfold higher concentration of the drug was required as compared with aurothiomalate. Aurothiomalate caused an increase of cellular cGMP level, and inhibitors of guanylate cyclase inhibited the activating effect of aurothiomalate. Three specific antagonists of cGMP-dependent kinase (G-kinase) strongly inhibited aurothiomalate-induced migration of electroporated neutrophils. The results suggest that stimulation of migration by aurothiomalate is mediated by cGMP and a G-kinase. Monoclonal anti-IL-8 inhibited aurothiomalate-induced stimulation of migration. Though no increased release of IL-8 could be established upon exposure of neutrophils to aurothiomalate, it seems conceivable that the stimulating effect of aurothiomalate is mediated by IL-8.

The role of cyclic nucleotides in neutrophil migration

1. The literature concerning the effects of cAMP and especially cGMP on neutrophil migration is reviewed. 2. Experiments with agents that enhance cGMP level, and with electroporated neutrophils in which cGMP was introduced, show that the nucleotide has different effects. There is a maximal stimulation at a specific concentration while higher concentrations are less effective or even inhibitory. 3. Some physiologically active peptides such as granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), atrial natriuretic factor, and endothelin appear to modify neutrophil migration via a cGMP-dependent mechanism. 4. Dependent on concentration and conditions (random migration vs. fMLP-activated migration, using nitric oxide (NO), NO donors, and inhibitors of NO synthase), NO has stimulatory or inhibitory effects on neutrophil migration. 5. The differential effects of cGMP and cAMP on neutrophil migration are discussed with regard to intracellular actions, metabolism, interaction with calcium, and relation to structural changes required for cell movement.

Marked reduction in myocardial infarct size due to prolonged infusion of an antioxidant during reperfusion

BACKGROUND

There has been controversy about whether early reperfusion of myocardial infarcts causes further necrosis mediated by reactive oxygen species or other mechanisms. Unequivocal evidence that therapeutic agents given only during reperfusion can prevent, rather than delay or modify, injury has been sparse. Failure to account for variables, such as collateral blood flow, that influence infarct size independently and attempts to measure infarct size too early in reperfusion may have limited the sensitivity and specificity of some previous studies.

METHODS AND RESULTS

After 90 minutes of coronary occlusion and 48 hours of reperfusion in a canine model, we examined the effect on infarct size of intravenous infusion of N-(2-mercaptopropionyl)-glycine (MPG), a diffusible antioxidant. Infarct size and region at risk were measured by post-mortem dual perfusion with triphenyl tetrazolium chloride and Evans blue dyes, and regional myocardial blood flow was measured with radioactive microspheres. Infusion of MPG 100 mg.kg-1.h-1, beginning either 15 minutes before the onset of reperfusion or 30 minutes after the onset of reperfusion and continued until 4 hours of reperfusion and followed by an intramuscular dose, reduced infarct size, normalized for both region at risk and the level of collateral blood flow, by 60% and 45%, respectively. When infusion of MPG was limited to the last 15 minutes of ischemia and the first hour of reperfusion only, the normalized infarct size was reduced by 26%. Heart rate, blood pressure, and their product did not differ among the four groups studied. The plasma half-time of MPG was < 10 minutes. In in vitro experiments MPG was a scavenger of hydrogen peroxide but not of superoxide radical.

CONCLUSIONS

After 90 minutes of coronary ligation, infusion of the diffusible hydrogen peroxide scavenger, MPG, for several hours, beginning as late as 30 minutes after the onset of reperfusion, substantially reduced infarct size measured 48 hours later. In this model, necrosis caused by processes during reperfusion may be more extensive than necrosis caused by ischemia alone. Since infusion of this agent for only the first hour of reperfusion was considerably less effective, it appears that most of the oxidant injury leading to necrosis occurred after the first 60 minutes but within the first 4 hours of reperfusion.

Potentiation and inhibition of migration of human neutrophils by auranofin

OBJECTIVES

As auranofin resembles some neutrophil activating sulphur containing compounds, it was decided to investigate whether it had activating effects on neutrophil migration in addition to the published inhibitory effects.

METHODS

The Boyden chamber assay was used to determine the migration velocity of human neutrophils. The difference between chemotaxis and chemokinesis was established with a chequerboard assay.

RESULTS

Low concentrations of auranofin stimulated human neutrophil migration; concentrations of auranofin higher than 1 mumol/l were inhibitory. Inhibitors of leukotriene formation, or of protein kinase C, had the same effect on auranofin induced potentiation of migration as on fMLP activated migration. Auranofin, at a concentration of 100 nmol/l, caused a transient increase in the cGMP level of neutrophils. The auranofin induced increase in migration was strongly inhibited by methylene blue and by LY83583, two inhibitors of cGMP accumulation.

CONCLUSIONS

The auranofin induced enhancement of migration is partly due to a chemokinetic effect, but mainly due to a chemotactic effect. The potentiating effect of auranofin on migration is not specifically due to the ability of the drug to inhibit protein kinase C activity or to generate leukotrienes. These results suggest that the enhancement of neutrophil migration by low levels of auranofin is related to the enhancement of cGMP levels in neutrophils.

Differential stimulation of neutrophil functions by pyrithioxine

The drug pyrithioxine strongly stimulated in vitro migration by rabbit peritoneal neutrophils. The stimulating effect appeared to be chemotactic rather than chemokinetic. Though the drug did not induce exocytosis by itself, it stimulated fMet-Leu-Phe-induced exocytosis. The effect on exocytosis induced by other activators was not statistically significant. No stimulating effect of pyrithioxine on superoxide production was observed, either in the absence or in the presence of activators. For a maximal stimulating effect on migration and exocytosis the presence of extracellular Ca2+ was required. Pyrithioxine caused an increase of cGMP level in neutrophils. The hypothesis is presented that the differential activation of neutrophil functions by pyrithioxine is mediated by cGMP, and that cGMP has a differential importance for the neutrophil functions studied.

Stimulation of human neutrophil migration by aurothioglucose and thioglucose

Migration of human neutrophils was enhanced by aurothioglucose in a concentration-dependent manner. Migration was especially pronounced when the drug was present in the lower compartment of the Boyden chamber, suggesting that the enhancement of migration was chemotactic rather than chemokinetic. Thioglucose followed the same pattern of stimulation as the related gold compound, but the enhancement at the maximally stimulating concentration was less; at higher concentrations thioglucose inhibited random migration.

Modulation of neutrophil migration by captopril

Because neutrophils might be involved in some of the therapeutic effects of captopril we studied the effect of captopril on neutrophil migration. Captopril strongly enhances migration by rabbit peritoneal neutrophils. Stimulation by captopril was maximal at a concentration of about 400 microM; at higher concentrations stimulation decreased again. The stimulatory effect is partly chemokinetic, and partly chemotactic. Captopril disulfide also stimulates migration, though the stimulating effect is less than that of captopril. Captopril-induced stimulation of migration was strongly inhibited by pretreatment of neutrophils with pertussis toxin, indicating that the stimulation is mediated by a pertussis toxin-sensitive G protein. Intact sulfhydryl groups on the cell surface are required for stimulation because inactivation of these groups with the non-penetrating sulfhydryl reagent 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid) (DTNB) completely abolishes the stimulating effect of captopril and of captopril disulfide. Both captopril and captopril disulfide cause an enhancement of cyclic GMP level in the neutrophil. The enhancement of both the cGMP level and that of migration is blocked by methylene blue and by LY-83583, suggesting that the stimulating effect of captopril is mediated by cGMP. Inhibitors of NO generation, such as NG-monomethyl-L-arginine, NG-nitro-L-arginine and canavanine have no effect on captopril-induced stimulation of migration, indicating that NO is not involved in the stimulating effect of captopril.