Impairment of macrophage function in Mongolian gerbils

Chemiluminescence studies on superoxide generation by phagosomes using opsonized zymosan showed the highest fluorescence in murine splenic macrophages among four different kinds of splenic or peritoneal macrophages from mice or gerbils. Murine splenic macrophages phagocytized two to three times more latex particles than gerbil splenic macrophages, but peritoneal macrophages did not show a significant difference in phagocytic activity between mice and gerbils. Phagocytosis by macrophages was determined by a technique based on measurement of the release of hydrogen peroxide and myeloperoxidase from phagosomes using microspheres conjugated with 3-(p-hydroxyphenyl) propionic acid (HPPA-MS). HPPA is a substrate of lysosomal myeloperoxidase. The fluorescence of HPPA-HPPA-MS produced by phagocytized HPPA-MS was measured with an immunoreaction analysis system (IMRAS), and the enzyme activities of the four different kinds of peritoneal or splenic macrophages from mice and gerbils were compared. All four kinds of macrophages produced HPPA-HPPA-MS in their phagosomes during phagocytosis and murine splenic macrophages showed the highest level of enzyme activity.