[Diverse effects of glucocorticoids on diverse leucocytes apoptosis]

To observe effects of glucocorticoids on the process of apoptosis in main inflammatory cells related to pulmonary inflammation.

Human peripheral blood neutrophil(PMN), eosinophil (EOS) and T lymphocyte(TLC) were cultured in vitro under glucocorticoids condition. In situ end-labeling technique of fragmented DNA was used to detect the dynamic fesatures of apoptosisin experimental collected cell. The peripheral PMN apoptosis in acute respiratory distress syndrome(ARDS) and EOS, TLC apoptosis in bronchial asthma were determined by the same method before and after treatment with glucocorticoids.

PMN, EOS and TLC showed signs of apoptosis spontaneously and no signs of surviving cells after 12 h/43 h, 15 h/65 h and 65 h/128 h of culture respectively. Dexamethasone accelerated EOS and TLC apoptosis, while inhibited PMN apoptosis. The PMN apoptosis in ARDS and EOS, TLC apoptosis in bronchial asthma were in various degreof inhibitory state. The above time of PMN, EOS and TLC apoptosis were 41.5 h/92.6 h,29.3 h/100 h,92.4 h/152.2 h respectively. The inhibitory state of PMN apoptosis was not influenced by glucocorticoids therapy, but the EOS and TLC apoptosis were relieved from their inhibitory state.

Effects of glucocorticoids are different in diverse leucocyte apoptosis. This could have an differential significance in pulmonary inflammation.