Superoxide anion and hydrogen peroxide release by macrophages from mice treated with Nocardia rubra cell-wall skeleton: inhibition of macrophage cytotoxicity by a protease inhibitor but not by superoxide dismutase and catalase.
Peritoneal macrophages obtained from male BALB/c mice intraperitoneally injected with Nocardia rubra cell-wall skeleton (N-CWS) showed abundant superoxide anion and hydrogen peroxide release in response to opsonized zymosan used as a trigger. These N-CWS-induced macrophages also showed marked cytolytic activity against syngeneic Meth A fibrosarcoma targets. To examine the possible role of superoxide anion and/or hydrogen peroxide in the lysis of Meth A cells, N-CWS-induced macrophages were assayed with Meth A targets in the presence of superoxide dismutase, catalase, or both. However, addition of these agents to the assays, in doses which abolished detectable superoxide anion and/or hydrogen peroxide release from the effector cells, had no inhibitory effects on the cytotoxicity of N-CWS-induced macrophages. In contrast, both a protease inhibitor and actinomycin D could inhibit the cytolysis of Meth A targets by N-CWS-induced macrophages. These data raise the possibility that protease(s) rather than oxygen intermediates might be involved in the cytotoxicity of N-CWS-induced macrophages against tumor cells.
D000818:Animals; D002374:Catalase / Q000494:pharmacology; D002460:Cell Line; D002473:Cell Wall / Q000276:immunology; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D003609:Dactinomycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D005354:Fibrosarcoma / Q000276:immunology; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009615:Nocardia / Q000276:immunology*; D009895:Opsonin Proteins; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism*; D011480:Protease Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000494:pharmacology; D013481:Superoxides / Q000378:metabolism*; D015054:Zymosan / Q000494:pharmacology
D009895:Opsonin Proteins; D011480:Protease Inhibitors; D013481:Superoxides; D003609:Dactinomycin; D015054:Zymosan; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D002374:Catalase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D010100:Oxygen