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Some Biochemical and Functional Characteristics of Macrophages Activated by Tetrahymena pyriformis
Author(s) -
Makioka Asao,
Kobayashi Akio
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
microbiology and immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.664
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1348-0421
pISSN - 0385-5600
DOI - 10.1111/j.1348-0421.1984.tb00733.x
Subject(s) - phagocytosis , tetrahymena pyriformis , tetrahymena , biology , acid phosphatase , hydrogen peroxide , lysozyme , ciliate , microbiology and biotechnology , macrophage , zymosan , superoxide , alkaline phosphatase , enzyme , biochemistry , ecology , in vitro
Phagocytosis, enzyme activities and capacity to release hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) and superoxide anion (O 2 − ) of peritoneal macrophages from mice inoculated with Tetrahymena pyriformis , a free‐living ciliate, were examined in comparison with resident and BCG‐activated macrophages. Fc receptor‐mediated phagocytosis of sheep erythrocytes was markedly increased in Tetrahymena‐activated macrophages to the same level as that seen in BCG‐activated ones. Tetrahymena ‐activated macrophages showed an increased level of acid phosphatase (lysosomal enzyme) and a reduced level of alkaline phosphodiesterase I (plasma membrane ectoenzyme) as compared with resident macrophages. Similar changes in the activities of the two enzymes were also observed in BCG‐activated macrophages. Both Tetrahymena ‐ and BCG‐activated macrophages exhibited more enhanced capacity to release H 2 O 2 and O 2 − than resident macrophages when stimulated with phorbol myristate acetate. In the macrophages from mice inoculated with varying doses of Tetrahymena , a significant correlation was observed between the increased capacity of H 2 O 2 and O 2 − release as observed in the present study, and the enhanced toxoplasmacidal activity as observed in a previous study, in a dose‐dependent fashion.