Differential effects of nylon fibre adherence on the production of superoxide anion by human polymorphonuclear neutrophilic granulocytes stimulated with chemoattractants, ionophore A23187 and phorbol myristate acetate.

Human polymorphonuclear neutrophilic granulocytes were made adherent by passing them over protein-coated nylon fibre columns and compared with suspended cells for their production of superoxide anion as measured by cytochrome C reduction. The cells were stimulated with chemotactic factors, the ionophore A 23187, and the tumour promoter phorbol myristate acetate. There was no increased O2-. production by adherent cells in the absence of a stimulus. Adherent cells produced considerably higher amounts of superoxide than suspended cells when stimulated with formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine, ionophore A 23187, C5a, C5adesArg, and the platelet activating factor 1-o-alkyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphorylcholine. In contrast, stimulation with phorbol myristate acetate did not result in higher superoxide release from adherent than from suspended cells, and leukotriene B4 and a mononuclear cell-derived chemotaxin did not stimulate either cell to release significant amounts of superoxide. It is suggested that the augmented production of oxygen radicals with certain stimuli contributes to inflammatory symptoms in situations involving adherent granulocytes.