Pa. Kenny et al., THE EFFECT OF CYTOKINES ON BACTERICIDAL ACTIVITY OF MURINE NEUTROPHILS, FEMS immunology and medical microbiology, 7(3), 1993, pp. 271-279
A range of recombinant cytokines have now been shown to modify aspects
of the phenotype and function of human and murine neutrophils. Howeve
r, few reports describe modification of the bactericidal activity of n
eutrophils. We therefore examined the recombinant murine cytokines tum
or necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha, 10-1000 ng ml(-1)) and granulocyt
e macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF, 10-1000 U ml(-1)) for
their ability to increase the bacterial killing capacity of murine neu
trophils. Neutrophils from either bone marrow (fresh or cultured), or
peritoneal exudates, or abscesses, were pre-incubated with either cyto
kine for 30-60 min and the killing of Proteus mirabilis, Escherichia c
oli, or Bacteroidrs fragilis was examined in the presence or absence o
f serum over a 90 min period. Only for one combination was a small but
significantly enhanced level of bacteria killing observed, the phagoc
ytic killing of P. mirabilis by peritoneal exudate neutrophils in the
presence of GM-CSF and serum. With this exception there was no enhance
ment of bacterial killing for the range of combinations of neutrophils
and bacterial species tested. In contrast, at the concentrations test
ed for effect on bactericidal activity, TNF-alpha and GM-CSF were able
to significantly upregulate CR3 (but not Fc gamma RII) expression on
mouse neutrophils. These results indicate that upregulation of CR3 as
an index of neutrophil activation does not necessarily correlate with
increased bactericidal activity.