Changes of profiles of neutrophil granulocytes induced with the administration of L-DOPA and prednisolone

Morphological changes of granulocytes following combined treatment with L-DOPA and prednisolone were elucidated at the electron microscopic level. Neutrophil granulocytes exhibited marked changes in their surface as evidenced by scanning electron microscope. It is suggested that neutrophil granulocytes are sensitive to some biogenic amines.     

Elektronenmikroskopische Untersuchungen an den heterophilen Granulozyten des Haushuhns

Summary Ultra-thin sections of heterophil granulocytes of clinically healthy, laying hybrid-hens were examined by electron microscope. Within the cytoplasm of these cells, round, oval or fusiform granules (rods) of different electron density were found. Osmiophilic and electron light areas (cores) were seen, either together within the same granular body, or separately in different granules.     

Chemotactic and random movement of cord-blood granulocytes

Summary Chemotactic responsiveness and random movement of cord-blood granulocytes were studied with a modified Boyden's method. Cord-blood granulocytes were less active chemotactically than granulocytes from healthy children and adults, whereas the random filter movement of the cells from all three sources was about the same. In cord sera, concentrations of cell directed chemotaxis inhibitors were equal to those in sera from other age groups. Compared with the situation in healthy children and adults, the generation of chemotactic factors in cord-blood sera was impaired. This impairment was not related to an increased activity of chemotactic factor inactivators. Measurement of the cyclic nucleotide levels in granulocytes from cord-blood and from children belonging to various age groups revealed that the cord granulocytes have significantly lower concentrations of cAMP and cGMP, which could have been responsible for the decreased chemotactic responsiveness.     

Long-term changes in tyrosine phosphorylation of the abundant nuclear proteins during granulocytic differentiation of HL-60 cells

The two-dimensional electrophoretic patterns of nuclear proteins and their tyrosine phosphorylation were compared for HL-60 cells before and after differentiation induction to granulocytes by dimethyl sulfoxide, all-trans retinoic acid and N ⁶,O ²-dibutyryl adenosine 3′5′-cyclic monophosphate. Regardless of the inducer used, some nuclear proteins, which are tyrosine-phosphorylated in proliferating HL-60 cells, undergo gradual dephosphorylation 12–72 h after induction of differentiation, followed by drastic dephosphorylation during maturation to granulocytes. At least 13 nuclear proteins with a molecular mass of 35–110 kDa are dephosphorylated, and 6 nuclear proteins undergo tyrosine phosphorylation. Analysis of the nuclear proteins differentially extracted by salt and detergents indicates that changes in their tyrosine phosphorylation during the maturation stage of differentiating granulocytes occur mainly in proteins which are abundant in nucleoplasm, chromatin and residual nuclear structures. The abundance of these proteins, residing in the nuclear structures, and their long-term modification in phosphorylation during the maturation stages of differentiation strongly suggest that tyrosine phosphorylation of these proteins is involved in reorganization of the differentiating cell nucleus. Received 21 September 1998; received after revision 24 November 1998; accepted 3 December 1998     

Chemotactic and random movement of cord-blood granulocytes

Chemotactic responsiveness and random movement of cord-blood granulocytes were studied with a modified Boyden's method. Cord-blood granulocytes were less active chemotactically than granulocytes from healthy children and adults, whereas the random filter movement of the cells from all three sources was about the same. In cord sera, concentrations of cell directed chemotaxis inhibitors were equal to those in sera from other age groups. Compared with the situation in healthy children and adults, the generation of chemotactic factors in cord-blood sera was impaired. This impairment was not related to an increased activity of chemotactic factor inactivators. Measurement of the cyclic nucleotide levels in granulocytes from cord-blood and from children belonging to various age groups revealed that the cord granulocytes have significantly lower concentrations of cAMP and cGMP, which could have been responsible for the decreased chemotactic responsiveness.     

Surface molecules regulating rolling and adhesion to endothelium of neutrophil granulocytes and MDA-MB-468 breast carcinoma cells and their interaction

The extravasation of leukocytes and tumor cells is a multi-step process with the involvement of various adhesion molecules depending on the three steps rolling, adhesion, and diapedesis. We have developed an in vitro model, by which we investigated the rolling and adhesion of neutrophil granulocytes and MDA-MB-468 human breast carcinoma cells to lung endothelial cells under physiological flow-conditions. We found that norepinephrine had an inhibitory function on the fMLP-promoted adhesion of neutrophil granulocytes due to a down-regulation of β2-integrin. Furthermore, neutrophil granulocytes serve as linking cells for the interaction of the MDA-MB-468 cells with the endothelium, which are both β2-integrin negative, but express the β2-integrin ligand ICAM-1. In addition, we show here that N-cadherin is up-regulated on the endothelial cells and on neutrophil granulocytes in response to fMLP. This up-regulation resulted in a significant increase of adherent MDA-MB-468 cells, which are also N-cadherin positive. Received 3 September 2007; received after revision 17 October 2007; accepted 22 October 2007     

Granulocyte adhesion to nephritic glomeruli through recognition of activated C4 and C3 in immune deposits

Summary Sections of rat kidney with bovine serum albumin nephritis were incubated either with a single component of complement or with several components in sequence and then reacted with granulocytes. The average number of granulocytes bound to a nephritic glomerulus was elevated in sections incubated with C4 or C3 and increases were most significant when C14, C142 or C1423 were incubated.     

Granulocyte adhesion to nephritic glomeruli through recognition of activated C4 and C3 in immune deposits

Sections of rat kidney with bovine serum albumin nephritis were incubated either with a single component of complement or with several components in sequence and then reacted with granulocytes. The average number of granulocytes bound to a nephritic glomerulus was elevated in sections incubated with C4 or C3 and increases were most significant when C14, C142 or C1423 were incubated.     

The effect of epinephrine on granulocyte adhesion

Preincubation of blood from normal human volunteers with epinephrine significantly decreased the granulocytes ability to adhere to nylon fibres. Possible significance for the in vivo correlation is discussed.     

Membrane fractions of rabbit granulocytes. 1. The presence of ouabain-sensitive ATPase and the electrophoretic patterns.

In one or two membrane fractions isolated from the homogenate of casein-induced rabbit granulocytes ouabain-sensitive ATPase activity was found definitely. Electrophoretic patterns of these membrane fractions showed no significant differences in staining for carbohydrate and protein.     

Quantitative und qualitative Untersuchungen der Esteraseaktivität in normalen Granulozyten,normalen Lymphozyten und in leukämischen Zellen

Summary A quantitative and qualitative analysis of the carboxylic esterases of normal granulocytes, normal lymphocytes and leukemic cells was performed. In the myeloid leukemic cells and in the lymphatic leukemic cells, the esterase activity was significantly increased. By means of electrophoretic fractionation, four zones with esterase activity were detected in normal granulocytes and lymphocytes; the electrophoretic pattern of the leukemic cells was similar to that of the normal cells.

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Diese Forschung wurde vom Fonds des Lady Tata Memorial Trust unterstützt.     

Participation of granulocytes and humoral factors in resolution of platelet aggregates during endotoxemia

Summary Hydrogen peroxide generated by phagocytizing granulocytes can prevent platelet aggregation induced by ADP or collagen but not by endotoxin. Endotoxin tolerance enhances granulocyte mobilization in response to endotoxin and reduces aggregation induced by endotoxin but not ADP or collagen.     

The effect of epinephrine on granulocyte adhesion

Summary Preincubation of blood from normal human volunteers with epinephrine significantly decreased the granulocytes ability to adhere to nylon fibres. Possible significance for the in vivo correlation is discussed.Acknowledgment. Ms Christine Woldanski provided technical assistance.     

Prolactin, growth hormone and the immune system in humans

Prolactin (PRL) and growth hormone (GH) qualify as lymphoid growth and differentiation factors. Yet, long-standing hyper- or hyposecretion of PRL or GH does not induce any significant alteration of the immune system. Subclinical changes in laboratory parameters (such as chemotaxis or phagocytosis by granulocytes or macrophages or natural killer cell activity) have been reported in some of these conditions. The GH-insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I axis is dysregulated in ageing, in catabolic states and in critical illness. Immune parameters, such as infection rate, are being monitored during clinical trials with GH or IGF-I. Hyperprolactinaemia may play an aggravating role in systemic lupus erythematosus, in autoimmune thyroiditis and in other autoimmune diseases. The patient may benefit from increased alertness about interactions between the endocrine and immune systems.     

Chemotaxis is not a special case of haptotaxis

Serum peptides containing classical anaphylatoxin (CAT) produce marked chemotatic orientation of human neutrophil granulocytes without modifying cell attachment to the substratum. Furthermore gradients of adhesion produced with gammaglobulins fail to induce morphological orientation of neutrophils. The results suggest that chemotaxis is not a special case of haptotaxis.     

Autoradiographische Bestimmung der mittleren Verweilzeit neutrophiler Granulozyten im Blut der Ratte mittels Dauerinfusion von3H- Thymidin

Summary Labelling of neutrophil granulocytes in the blood and sputum of rats was followed by autoradiography for 120 h after starting a continuous infusion of³H-thymidine).     

Distribution of procoagulant activity in the subcellular fractions of human granulocytes

Résumé Les extraits granulocytaires racourcissent le temps de coagulation de plasmas déficients en facteurs VIII, IX et XII. Une activité paracoagulante particulièrement élevée se manifeste dans les subfractions de granulocytes contenant des lysosomes et d'autres structures cytoplasmatiques.     

Peroxidase and phospholipid deficiency in human eosinophilic granulocytes — A marker in population genetics

Summary A large scale investigation was carried out in order to establish the frequency of peroxidase and phospholipid deficiency of eosinophilic granulocytes among various ethnic groups in Israel. The simplicity of the method for staining eosinophilic peroxidase renders it a useful marker for the study of population genetics.