HYDROGEN PEROXIDE-INDUCED CHEMOTAXIS OF MOUSE PERITONEAL NEUTROPHILS

Directed locomotion of mouse peritoneal neutrophils under agarose was studied, and activity of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) as a chemoattractant was tested in its concentration range of 10(-6) to 10(-3) M. It has b een found that H2O2 at low concentrations (about 10 mu M) induces chem otactic activity. This activity was not affected by the presence of se rum in the agarose medium, Use of bovine serum albumin instead of the heat-inactivated bovine serum in the medium had no effect on cell loco motion. The H2O2-induced chemotaxis was significantly reduced by catal ase. Involvement of [Ca2+](i) transients in the H2O2-induced chemotact ic response was shown. These data indicate that H2O2 itself in small q uantities ran act as a chemoattractant without interacting with a plas ma precursor to form a chemotactic factor. It has been suggested that H2O2 may form an important link similar to the second messenger in com munication between the cells.