Characteristics of alveolar macrophages in an animal model of resolving pulmonary inflammation

Little is known about the functions of alveolar macrophages during the later resolving phases of pulmonary inflammation. We have used an animal model of resolving pulmonary inflammation to obtain inflammatory macrophages (IMs) and have compared several IM functions with those of resident macrophages (RMs). IMs were frequently peroxidase positive and contained large amounts of myeloperoxidase activity. IMs also contained significant amounts of a serine protease type of elastase. The procoagulant activity of IMs was less than that of RMs, and IMs exhibited increased plasminogen activator activity when incubated on fibrin matrices. IMs also degraded fibrin directly, without plasminogen, and this activity was due to two different enzymes of molecular weights 39 and 63 kD that were present in IM granules and plasma membranes. These results suggest that, in vivo, IMs take up PMN enzymes and alter their procoagulant and fibrinolytic activity to maximize fibrin removal. These IM functions may be important for successful resolution of inflammatory injury.