Impaired function of polymorphonuclear leukocytes exuded into bronchoalveolar spaces infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa in steroid-treated rabbits.
Steroid-treated and untreated rabbits were infected transbronchially with Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) exuded into the bronchoalveolar spaces were obtained by lavage 18 hr later, superoxide (O2-) production and chemotactic activity were studied. In the steroid-treated group, there was a heightened susceptibility to the infection, as compared to findings in the untreated group. The lung exudate PMN in the steroid-treated group showed a significant decrease (p less than 0.05) in O2- production, and somewhat depressed chemotactic activity. In the untreated group, both O2- production (p less than 0.01) and chemotactic activity (p less than 0.001) of lung exudate PMN doubled, compared with findings in blood PMN. There was, however, no significant difference between lung exudate PMN and blood PMN in the steroid-treated group. Impaired PMN function in the steroid-treated group was also observed in case of casein-induced lung exudate PMN. These results suggest that the antibacterial function of PMN exuded in the infected lung may be impaired in steroid-treated hosts, hence an enhanced susceptibility to lung infection.
Fukushima
K
K
First Department of Internal Medicine, Kumamoto University Medical School, Japan.
Ando
M
M
Suga
M
M
Araki
S
S
D000818:Animals; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000276:immunology; D002634:Chemotaxis, Leukocyte / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology*; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000276:immunology*; D011552:Pseudomonas Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D011817:Rabbits; D013481:Superoxides / Q000378:metabolism
D013481:Superoxides; D006854:Hydrocortisone