title: Superoxide anion production and intracellular free calcium levels in resting and stimulated polymorphonuclear leukocytes obtained from healthy and arteriosclerotic subjects of various ages.
abstract: 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 O2- generation 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.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Internal Medicine, University Medical School of Debrecen, Hungary.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mohácsi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fülöp
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kozlovszky
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Seres
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Leövey
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000097:blood; D001162:Arteriosclerosis Obliterans / Q000097:blood*; D000001:Calcimycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D002118:Calcium / Q000097:blood*; D002499:Centrifugation, Density Gradient; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009240:N-Formylmethionine Leucyl-Phenylalanine / Q000494:pharmacology; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000378:metabolism*; D013481:Superoxides / Q000097:blood*; D015054:Zymosan / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D013481:Superoxides; D000001:Calcimycin; D009240:N-Formylmethionine Leucyl-Phenylalanine; D015054:Zymosan; D002118:Calcium