title: Mechanisms of action involved in the chemoattractant activity of three beta-lactamic antibiotics upon human neutrophils.
abstract: The effects produced by three beta-lactamic antibiotics (N-formimidoyl thienamycin or imipenem, cefmetazole and cefoxitin) in vitro on protein carboxylmethylation, cAMP and cGMP levels in human polymorphonuclear neutrophils were studied. These antibiotics (50 micrograms/mL) exhibited chemoattractant activity for phagocytic cells and produced a fast (0.5 min) and significant stimulation of protein carboxylmethylation. They also increased intraphagocytic cGMP levels although no changes in cAMP levels were observed. Since the involvement of the above-mentioned mechanisms in leukotaxis have been established, the stimulation of neutrophil chemotaxis by the three antibiotics studied could possibly be mediated by one or more of these mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Faculty of Science, University of Extremadura, Badajoz, Spain.
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Rodriguez
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Barriga
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: De la Fuente
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D015311:Cefmetazole / Q000494:pharmacology; D002440:Cefoxitin / Q000494:pharmacology; D002630:Chemotactic Factors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002634:Chemotaxis, Leukocyte / Q000187:drug effects; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000378:metabolism; D006152:Cyclic GMP / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D015378:Imipenem / Q000494:pharmacology; D008745:Methylation / Q000187:drug effects; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D011506:Proteins / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D002630:Chemotactic Factors; D011506:Proteins; D015311:Cefmetazole; D002440:Cefoxitin; D015378:Imipenem; D000242:Cyclic AMP; D006152:Cyclic GMP; D002118:Calcium