CORTICOTROPIN-RELEASING HORMONE ENHANCES THE SUPEROXIDE ANION PRODUCTION OF RABBIT PERITONEAL-MACROPHAGES STIMULATED WITH N-FORMYL-METHIONYL-LEUCYL-PHENYLALANINE

Effects of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) on the superoxide ani on (O-2(-)) production in macrophages (M phi s) were investigated. CRH by itself failed to induce the O-2(-) production of rabbit peritoneal M phi s elicited with thioglycollate medium. However, M phi s preincu bated with CRH showed significant enhancement of O-2(-) production fol lowing stimulation with a chemotactic peptide, N-formyl-methionylleucy l-phenylalanine (FMLP), at CRH concentrations from 10(-10) to 10 M. Ma ximal enhancement of O-2(-) production was obtained with 10 min preinc ubation with CRH for FMLP stimulation. CRH had no effect on O-2(-) pro duction when stimulated with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate. Neither corticotropin nor beta-endorphin augmented the O-2(-) production induc ed with FMLP. These results indicate that CRH has priming effects on F MLP-induced O-2(-) production of rabbit peritoneal M phi s, although t he underlying mechanism remains to be clarified.