Peritoneal macrophage activation by microbial and nonmicrobial agents

ABSTRACT

Exposure of peritoneal macrophages to two stimulants [gelatin and typhoid vaccine] was associated with the synthesis of greater quantities of intracellular acid phosphatase [AP- ase] and increased phagocytosis [NBT reduction]. NBT reduction to the insoluble formazan was apparently dependent on the nature of the inflammatory agent [gelatin +AD0- 16.6+ACUAOw- typhoid vaccine +AD0- 21.4+ACU-]+ADs-both chemically elicited and microbially activated macrophages differ in their production of the enzymatic system [s] responsible for reduction of oxygen to toxic molecules [revealed by NBT reduction] in accordance to the nature of the inflammatory agents [whether it is particulate like typhoid vaccine or soluble like gelatin]. On the other hand, though intracellular hydrolases were also synthesized by peritoneal macrophages in response to the inflammatory agents, the magnitude of elevation in the level of AP- ase did not correlate well with the intensity of NBT reduction by these cells when exposed to any of the two agents. Chemically elicited or microbially activated macrophages gave rise to similar elevations nature of the nature of the inflammatory agent [gelatin +AD0- 54.6+ACU-, typhoid vaccine +AD0- 57.0+ACU-]. Lysozymuria observed after exposure to gelatin was not interpretable on basis of macrophage stimulation. False positive and false negative results were not uncommon