title: Evidence for hydroxyl radical production by human neutrophils.
abstract: The possibility that neutrophils produce the hydroxyl radical (OH-) was studied by examining the ability of these cells to support the release of ethylene from methional, a reaction in which it has been shown that OH-, but not O2- or H2O2, may serve as the oxidizing agent. When neutrophils were exposed to opsonized zymosan in the presence of 0.35 mM methional, ethylene was released in quantities amounting to 44.6+/-3.6 pmol/10(6) cells/40 min. Ethylene production required the presence of neutrophils, opsonized zymosan, and methional, indicating that it was formed from methional by stimulated but not resting neutrophils. Ethylene was not produced by zymosan-treated cells from patients with chronic granulomatous disease, confirming the requirement for respiratory burst activity in this process. Ethylene production was suppressed by benzoic acid, an OH- scavenger. Superoxide dismutase (3 microgram/ml) reduced ethylene production to 21% of control levels, but catalase had no significant effect in this system. These findings indicate that stimulated neutrophils produce a highly reactive oxidizing radical, possibly OH-, which releases ethylene from methional, and that the O2-generated during the respiratory burst is involved in the production of this reactive species.
mesh_terms: D001565:Benzoates / Q000494:pharmacology; D002374:Catalase / Q000378:metabolism; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology; D005030:Ethylenes / Q000097:blood; D005609:Free Radicals; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D008353:Mannitol / Q000494:pharmacology; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D010587:Phagocytosis; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism; D015054:Zymosan / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001565:Benzoates; D005030:Ethylenes; D005609:Free Radicals; D000431:Ethanol; D008353:Mannitol; D015054:Zymosan; D002374:Catalase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D010100:Oxygen