Effects of lead on the killing mechanisms of polymorphonuclear leukocytes
The effects of lead on the killing mechanisms of rat polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) were investigated, using male Long-Evans rats exposed to 1% lead acetate in the drinking water for varying periods of time to achieve blood lead levels ranging from 20-200 ..mu..g/dl. Studies of PMN bacterial and fungal killing activity, chemotaxis and phagocytosis demonstrated that: 1) bactericidal activity of PMN from rats exposed to lead was not altered; 2) chemotactic activity remained within normal limits; 3) the phagocytic ability of the PMN also remained unaltered. In addition to these normal findings, one major abnormality was demonstrated: a significant decrease in the ability of PMN from rats exposed to lead to kill Candida albicans. This defect was not related to age or to length of exposure. It could not be produced by addition of lead to the test system in vitro. Further investigation revealed significant decreases in PMN glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, catalase, and myeloperoxidase activities. These data support two possible mechanisms for the abnormal fungicidal activity of PMN from lead-exposed rats: decrease in ability to reduce oxygen to active metabolites, or reduction in myeloperoxidase activity due to diminshed synthesis of the heme moiety required for its function.
- Research Organization:
- Cincinnati Univ., OH (USA)
- OSTI ID:
- 5853913
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Thesis (Ph. D.)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
BACTERIA
CELL KILLING
FUNGI
IRON 59
UPTAKE
LEAD COMPOUNDS
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
LEUKOCYTES
ENZYME ACTIVITY
ACETATES
CANDIDA
DRINKING WATER
OXIDOREDUCTASES
PEROXIDASES
PHAGOCYTOSIS
RATS
ANIMALS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
BLOOD
BLOOD CELLS
BODY FLUIDS
CARBOXYLIC ACID SALTS
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
ENZYMES
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
HETEROCYCLIC ACIDS
HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
IRON ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
MAMMALS
MATERIALS
MICROORGANISMS
NUCLEI
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLANTS
PORPHYRINS
RADIOISOTOPES
RODENTS
VERTEBRATES
WATER
YEASTS
560301* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology- Cells- (-1987)