Superoxide anion production and intracellular free calcium levels in resting and stimulated polymorphonuclear leukocytes obtained from healthy and arteriosclerotic subjects of various ages
✍ Scribed by Attila Mohácsi; Tamás Fülöp Jr.; Bertalan Kozlovszky; Ildikó Seres; András Leövey
- Publisher
- Elsevier Science
- Year
- 1992
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 392 KB
- Volume
- 25
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0009-9120
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✦ Synopsis
It has been established that phagocytic cells are integral components of advanced arteriosclerotic plaques but their role in plaque formation remains unclear. Therefore, toxic agents, such as superoxide anion produced by polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNLs) were studied in a clinically defined group of arteriosclerotic patients suffering from obliterative arteriosclerosis of the lower legs. Owing to a close correlation between 02generation and calcium, the intracellular free calcium concentrations of PMNLs were measured in a resting state and after stimulation with various agents, for example, opsonized zymosan (OZ), the chemotactic peptide f-met-leu-phe (FMLP), and the calcium ionophore A23187. Healthy aged-matched controls were employed. The patients were divided into two age groups: 30-59 years and 60-80 years. We found that in the younger group of arteriosclerotic patients, superoxide anion production and intracellular free calcium concentrations were increased even in the resting state, and only a slight increase was observed after stimulation compared with healthy controls. Granulocyte responses seemed to be similar, independent of the patient's age, to those found in healthy elderly subjects. Arteriosclerosis appears to be associated with an early aging process expressing marked alterations that are greater than those associated with normal aging.