VASCULAR ATHEROSCLEROTIC DISEASE - BEHAVIOR OF THE POLYMORPHONUCLEAR LEUKOCYTE (PMN) FILTRATION PARAMETERS, PMN MEMBRANE FLUIDITY AND PMN CYTOSOLIC CA2+ CONTENT AFTER CHEMOTACTIC ACTIVATION

In a group of subjects with vascular atherosclerotic disease (VAD) and in a group of normal controls we evaluated, at baseline and after in vitro chemotactic activation (prolonged for 5 and 15 min) with two sti mulating agents (PMA and fMLP), the polymorphonuclear (PMN) filtration parameters, PMN membrane fluidity and PMN cytosolic Ca2+ content. We determined the PMN filtration parameters using the St. George's Filtro meter and considering respectively the initial relative flow rate (IRF R) and the clogging particles (CP), the PMN membrane fluidity, employi ng the fluorescent probe TMA-DPH, and the PMN cytosolic Ca2+ content a dopting the fluorescent probe Fura 2-AM. In normals and in VAD subject s, after PMN activation with PMA and fMLP, a significant variation was evident in all filtration parameters at 5 and 15 min; no important va riation was present in PMN membrane fluidity and in PMN cytosolic Ca2 content. Between normals and VAD subjects no difference was evident r egarding the trend of PMN filtration parameters, PMN membrane fluidity and PMN cytosolic Ca2+ content.