Effects of milk and colostrum on superoxide generation of oral polymorphonuclear neutrophils and the changes that occur during storage at low temperature.

Human oral polymorphonuclear neutrophils (OPMN) generate reactive oxygen species even in the absence of stimulants. Because OPMN from newborn babies are exposed to colostrum and mature milk, the biological properties of these cells including the generation of reactive oxygen species might possibly be affected by the constituents of colostrum and milk. The present work reports the effects of colostrum and mature milk, including the effects of storage at low temperature, on superoxide generation by OPMN. Fresh colostrum and mature milk did not affect either endogenous or formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine-induced generation of superoxide by OPMN. However, superoxide generation stimulated by phorbol myristate acetate or arachidonic acid was inhibited by colostrum and mature milk presumably due to binding of the ligands to milk proteins. During the storage of milk at 4 degrees C, free forms of unsaturated long-chain fatty acids increased, and there was concomitant increase in the ability of milk to generate superoxide radicals in OPMN. Kinetic analysis suggested that colostrum and mature milk regulate superoxide generation by OPMN, thereby modulating the bactericidal activity of these cells in the oral cavity.

Superoxide dismutase-like activity of metal substituted lactoferrin derivatives.

Lactoferrin (LF) is an iron-binding glycoprotein present in various secretions including milk and the specific granules of neutrophils. The main biological properties of this protein are thought to concern the regulation of iron absorption, antimicrobial activity and modulation of neutrophil activity. Copper bound LF (Cu-LF) inhibited the stimulation-dependent reduction of cytochrome c (Cyt. c) in guinea pig peritoneal neutrophils (GPMN) but were without effect on NADPH oxidase activity of the respiratory burst. However, Cu-LF stimulated the stimulation-dependent production of hydrogen peroxide as seen with superoxide dismutase (SOD). Similar but weaker inhibition of Cyt. c reduction than that shown by Cu-LF was observed with manganese-LF (Mn-LF) but not with ferrous-LF (Fe-LF) or apo-LF (Apo-LF). The inhibitory activity was concentration-dependent and the ID50s of Cu-LF and of Mn-LF were 0.1 and 5 microM, respectively. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) detected by luminol chemiluminescence (LCL) of stimulated-GPMN were partially inhibited by Cu-LF. Changes in LCL of stimulated GPMN induced by Cu-LF were similar to those of superoxide dismutase (SOD). Thus, it is concluded that low concentrations of Cu-LF had SOD-like activity and high concentrations of Cu-LF inhibited the stimulation-dependent generation of ROS.