OXYGENATION ACTIVITIES OF CHICKEN POLYMORPHONUCLEAR LEUKOCYTES INVESTIGATED BY SELECTIVE CHEMILUMINIGENIC PROBES

The redox metabolism of myeloperoxidase-deficient rooster (chicken) po lymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNL) was analyzed by differential chemilu minigenic probes, Chicken complement-opsonified zymosan, a phagocytosa ble particulate stimulus, and phorbol myristate acetate, a chemical st imulus, were used to activate the PMNL respiratory burst. The two prob es used were luminol (5-amino-2,3-dihydro-1,4-phthalazinedione), a gen eral probe of oxidase-peroxidase activities, and lucigenin (dimethylbi acridinium binitrate), a selective probe of oxidase activity, Rooster PMNLs yielded dimethylbiacridinium binitrate-dependent chemiluminescen ce (CL) comparable to those of myeloperoxidase-containing human PMNLs after stimulation with opsonified zymosan and to a lesser extent with phorbol myristate acetate, However, the luminol-dependent CL of opsoni fied zymosan or phorbol myristate acetate stimulated rooster PMNLs wer e approximately two orders of magnitude lower than responses observed with human PMNLs, At physiologic pH, luminol is a highly sensitive, bu t not specific, probe of myeloperoxidase activity, Rooster erythrocyte s yielded no CL with any of the probe-stimulus combinations described, Rooster PMNL viability and oxygen were required for CL, No strong cor relation could be drawn between CL responses and eosinophil leukocyte concentration, The major conclusion is that rooster PMNLs, which do no t have myeloperoxidase, present a significant and reproducible oxidati ve burst to chemical and particulate stimuli. Although lacking in pero xidase, rooster PMNLs can still present small. luminol-dependent respo nses.