Effect of hyperbaric oxygen on murine neutrophil and T-lymphocyte functions

We investigated the effect of repeated hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) exposure on PMN and T-lymphocyte functions in a murine model. Animals received eight 90-min exposures twice daily to 2.4 ata and 100% or 10% oxygen. Control animals were maintained in room air. On the ninth day spleens and peritoneal cell exudates were harvested. Phagocytosis was measured by flow-cytometric analysis of the ability of PMN to engulf formalin-killed, fluorescence-labeled Staphylococcus aureus. PMN-killing capacity was measured by the ability of PMN to undergo an oxidative burst after stimulation with N-formyl methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine, phorbol myristate, or opsonized zymosan. T-lymphocyte subpopulations were identified using monoclonal antibodies and two-color flow cytometry after 48 h stimulation with phytohemagglutinin, and lymphocyte proliferation was measured by 3 H-thymidine incorporation. We found PMN phagocytosis and oxidative burst were unchanged after HBO treatment. Lymphocyte proliferation was decreased, and an activated population of CD8+ T cells appeared after mitogen stimulation. We conclude that, although PMN function is not affected by prior HBO, lymphocyte proliferation is decreased.