Studies of leukocyte exudates in cyanate-treated animals

Cyanate (NCO), which impedes sickling by increasing the oxygen affinity of sickle haemoglobin, may react with many proteins in the body and potentially interfere with many functional systems. Leukocyte glycogen was studies because elevated liver glycogen has been noted after high dose NCO treatment in rats. Leukocyte function was also studied in peritoneal exudates. In animals given NCO alone, blood leukocyte glycogen was 2.8 plus or minus 0.3 (SE) mg per 10+9 WBC while control values were 3.3 plus or minus 0.6, a difference not statistically significant. In casein-induced peritoneal exudates, more WBC were recovered from NCO-treated animals (265 x 10+6 WBC vs. 214 x 10+6 WBC; P = 0.0009). Glycogen in blood leukocytes of casein-stimulated animals was not significantly different from NCO-treated animals. Leukocyte glycogen in peritoneal exudates was markedly increased over blood leukocyte glycogen in both controls (19.4 plus or minus 0.6 vs. 2.7 plus or minus 0.3 mg per 10+9/WBC; P less than 0.0001) and NCO-treated animals (17.5 plus or minus 0.7 vs. 3.6 plus or minus 0.5 mg per 10+9 WBC; P less than 0.001), although levels in exudates from control and NCO-treated animals did not significantly differ from each other. 14-C-glucose incorporation into glycogen was significantly increased (P = 0.020) in exudate leukocytes of NCO-treated animals. Initial phagocytic rates were equal in exudate leukocytes of control and NCO-treated animals. Although NCO treatment has demonstrable effects on ome aspects of leukocyte glycogen metabolism, exudation of leukocytes and phagocytic function are not impaired.