Comparative chemiluminescence studies with elicited peritoneal and spleen cells of different strains of mice and rats and the guinea pig

The amplified chemiluminescence test to characterize antirheumatic drugs as oxygen radical scavengers

High levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) are generated by phagocytes involved in host defence and inflammation. Thus, it appears highly desirable to learn more about the potential of antirheumatic drugs to scavenge ROS or to inhibit their enzymatic generation. Amplified chemiluminescence (CL) allows detection of O-2 using lucigenin (LgCL) or H2O2 using luminol (LuCL). A total of 43 compounds have been tested quantitatively in vitro (10(-6) to 10(-4) mol/l) with respect to three test parameters; varying cell-activity, and incubation-time employing two different phagocyte populations (neutrophils/macrophages). The most active compounds with LgCL were the known radical scavengers nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA), N-propyl gallate, superoxide dismutase and chloroquine, the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) benzydamine, timegadine, carprofen, enolicam, the known lipoxygenase inhibitors (e.g. CBS 1108/1114, BW 755C) and glucosaminoglucan polysulfate. Inactive in this system were corticosteroids (prednisolone, dexamethasone) most of the tested NSAID (N = 16/20), most disease modifying drugs (D-penicillamine, levamisole, gold-TM) and the anti-gout drugs (sulfinpyrazone, allopurinol, colchicine). Therefore amplified CL with lucigenin appears to be a rapid, kinetic, reproducible means of pharmacological profiling in vitro new anti-inflammatory drugs for radical scavenger activity.

In vitro determination of phagocyte activity by luminol- and lucigenin-amplified chemiluminescence

Amplified chemiluminescence (CL) detects most sensitively biologically important reactive oxygen species (ROS) which are generated by phagocytes by the respiratory burst permitting the determination of cell activity in vitro. Different murine phagocyte populations were used in combination with various ROS-catabolizing enzymes and some of their inhibitors to determine the possible advantages of one of the two main presently used amplifiers, i.e. luminol and lucigenin. Lucigenin appeared to react mainly with the first of the generated ROS the superoxide anion radical (O-.2) and thus records cell activity via the respiratory burst much more reliable than luminol. The more commonly employed luminol reacts mainly with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and probably the singlet oxygen (1O2) which result in photon emission. However, it seems not to react with the hydroxyl radical (OH.). The dependence of luminol-amplified CL upon the generation of the chain reaction intermediate H2O2 and its three main catalysts catalase, myeloperoxidase and glutathione makes this reaction prone to different artifacts if cell activity is to be determined. Lucigenin-amplified CL offers great advantages to study cell activating or inhibiting properties of drugs and kinetics in vitro because of the biological relevance of O-.2 determination, its sensitivity, reproducibility and ease in handling.