GEL-ELECTROPHORETIC ANALYSIS OF CELLULAR AND SECRETED PROTEINS FROM RESTING AND ACTIVATED RAT ALVEOLAR MACROPHAGES TREATED WITH PENTAMIDINEISETHIONATE

Pneumocystic carinii pneumonia, which is a major cause of death among patients suffering from acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, has often been treated successfully with pentamidine isethionate. This study exa mines pentamidine effects on cellular and secreted proteins from rat a lveolar macrophages by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and compute rized image analysis. Over 100 secreted proteins were detected by fluo rography. Fluorography showed pentamidine diminished tumor necrosis fa ctor and interleukin-1 release along with other proteins. Effects of c ombined bacterial lipopolysaccharide and pentamidine were more pronoun ced on secreted versus cellular proteins in protein amount and pattern difference. Thus pentamidine exhibited a general repressive effect on cellular and secreted protein expression in resting and activated mac rophages.