cytochalasin-b and Neutropenia

Intravascular infusion of inflammatory mediators causes a sudden neutropenia due to the sequestration of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) within the microvasculature of the lung and other organs. This sequestration could be due to a decrease in the ability of PMN to deform and pass through the narrow capillary bed. The purpose of this study was to determine if the complement fragments present in zymosan-activated plasma (ZAP) caused a rapid stiffening of PMN. The PMN deformability was determined by measuring the pressure required to pass PMN through a polycarbonate filter containing 5-micron pores at a constant flow rate as well as the extraction of PMN compared with red blood cells and 125I-labeled albumin by the filter. The role of the cytoskeleton in PMN deformation was examined in studies where F-actin formation was inhibited using cytochalasin B or microtubule assembly was inhibited using colchicine. The results showed that treatment with ZAP induced a rapid decrease in PMN deformability. Inhibiting the formation of F-actin made the unstimulated PMN more deformable and reduced the stiffening induced by ZAP. In contrast, inhibition of microtubule reassembly did not alter either normal deformability or the ZAP-induced decrease in deformability. In vivo, colchicine increased normal PMN margination but did not inhibit the rapid sequestration of PMN induced by infusion of ZAP. These studies indicate that ZAP induces a rapid decrease in PMN deformability that is mediated through the cytoskeleton. They suggest that this decrease is due to the polymerization of F-actin.

Topics: Actins; Animals; Colchicine; Complement System Proteins; Cytochalasin B; Cytoskeleton; Filtration; In Vitro Techniques; Microtubules; Neutropenia; Neutrophils; Peptide Fragments; Rabbits; Zymosan

There is a growing body of data to suggest that marginated granulocytes mediate much of the pulmonary damage observed during endotoxemia. The mechanism(s) by which endotoxemia initiates neutrophil margination and cytotoxicity remain either controversial or unknown. The objectives of this study were 1) to determine the temporal relationship between endotoxin-induced decreases in mean arterial pressure and circulating neutrophils, 2) to monitor neutrophil activation in vivo by measuring myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity in the plasma and lymph, and 3) to assess the interaction between endotoxin and complement in activation of neutrophilic oxidative metabolism in vitro. We found that a bolus injection of endotoxin causes a concurrent decrease in both mean arterial pressure and circulating neutrophils at 2 min postinfusion. Blood pressure recovered to approximately 70% of control values by 180 min, whereas circulating neutrophils remain depressed at 20% of control values for the entire experimental period. Using MPO as a marker for neutrophil activation, we found that infusion of endotoxin produces a dramatic increase in plasma and lymph MPO activity, suggesting activation of neutrophilic metabolism in vivo. In vitro data showed that both endotoxin and plasma were required for optimal neutrophilic degranulation and superoxide formation. We conclude that 1) the appearance of MPO in the plasma (or lymph) may be a useful neutrophil marker for neutrophil activation in vivo and may prove useful in following the course of neutrophil-mediated tissue injury during endotoxemia, and 2) endotoxin-activated complement (C5a) activates neutrophils to produce cytotoxic oxidants.

Topics: Animals; Blood Pressure; Complement C5; Complement C5a; Cytochalasin B; Dogs; Endotoxins; Female; Leukocyte Count; Male; Neutropenia; Neutrophils; Peroxidase; Sepsis; Superoxides

Platelet-activating factor (PAF) is released in vitro during human and rabbit polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) aggregation induced by C5a anaphylatoxin, neutrophil cationic proteins (CP) and their carboxypeptidase-B-derived fragments, C5a des Arg and CP des Arg, as well as phagocytosis of opsonized baker's yeast particles and immune complexes (IC). Purified PAF itself is able to cause in vitro PMN aggregation. By using selective inhibitors, we show that PMN aggregation, induced either by PAF or by other soluble stimuli such as C5a, CP and their des Arg products, follows a similar metabolic pathway, which is both adenosine-diphosphate-(ADP)- and arachidonic acid (AA)- independent. The in vivo injection of purified PAF into rabbits leads both to formation of intravascular PMN aggregates and to development of acute neutropenia, which has the same features as those observed after challenge with IC, C5a and CP. In this respect, electron-microscopic studies of intravascular PMN aggregates in the pulmonary capillary network and glomeruli show identical ultrastructural patterns. Moreover, the intravascular release of PAF is demonstrated after the intravenous injection of IC and temporally correlated with the development of neutropenia. We suggest that PAF is probably the final, common, effector substance of IC-, C5a-, C5a-des-Arg-, CP-, CP-des-Arg-mediated PMN aggregation.

Topics: Adenosine Diphosphate; Animals; Antigen-Antibody Complex; Arachidonic Acids; Blood Platelets; Blood Proteins; Cell Aggregation; Complement C5; Cytochalasin B; Humans; Neutropenia; Neutrophils; Phagocytosis; Rabbits; Thromboxane A2