Selective release of lysosomal enzymes from cell populations containing multinucleate giant cells

Both peritoneal macrophages and cell populations containing multinucleate giant cells have been shown to release preferentially acid phosphatase and beta-glucuronidase. In both instances the relative proportion of the released enzyme is the same and is higher than the release of cytoplasmic LDH indicating that cell death is not the major cause of the released hydrolases. Stimulation with heat aggregated IgG increases both the specific activity/mg of soluble cellular protein as well as the relative proportion of the released enzyme. Populations containing multinucleate giant cells, however, release a higher relative proportion of acid phosphatase than beta-glucuronidase which may indicate that lysosomes with a lower beta-glucuronidase content may be involved. Such a selective release of lysosomal material may aid the extracellular degradation of closely opposed undigestible material in instances of granulomatous inflammation.