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Updated: May 11, 2026
Simplified Human Neutrophil Extracellular Traps (NETs) Isolation and Handling
Published on: April 16, 2015
Trehalose does not affect the functions of human neutrophils in vitro
Koji Tanaka1, Mikio Kawamura, Kohei Otake
1Department of Gastrointestinal and Pediatric Surgery, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-174 Edobashi, Tsu, Mie, 514-8507, Japan, qouji@clin.medic.mie-u.ac.jp.
Purpose:
Trehalose, naturally occurring disaccharide, has been reported to prevent postoperative abdominal adhesions in animal models. We investigated whether trehalose affects the function of human polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) in vitro to assess the feasibility of its clinical application as an anti-adhesive barrier.
Methods:
Human PMNs were obtained from 17 healthy volunteers. Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were used for the bacterial infection model, whereas lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and interleukin (IL)-1β were used for inflammation induction model. The PMN phagocytosis rates of bacteria and apoptosis/necrosis were assessed on trehalose, maltose, and control media. Cytokines; namely, tumor necrosis factor-α, IL-1α, IL-1Ra, IL-6, and IL-8; and PMN-elastase were measured on each medium in both models.
Results:
There were no significant differences in the phagocytosis rates, apoptosis/necrosis rates, or levels of all cytokines or PMN-elastase among the three media in the bacterial infection model. There were also no significant differences in the levels of all cytokines and PMN-elastase among the three media in the IL-1β inflammation induction model. PMN-elastase was lower in trehalose and maltose medium after LPS stimulation, at 3 and 24 h.
Conclusions:
Our results suggest that trehalose does not affect the cellular function, cytokine production, or release of PMN-elastase of human PMNs in an in vitro bacterial infection model.
