Platelet-activating factor as a stimulus of exocytosis in human neutrophils

The properties of platelet-activating factor (PAF-acether) 42-48ulus of exocytosis in human neutrophils have been re-investigated with particular attention to effects on cells that were not pretreated with cytochalasin B. Release of gelatinase, the most sensitive marker of exocytosis, was determined in addition to that of vitamin B-12-binding protein and beta-glucuronidase. Superoxide production was assayed as a measure of the respiratory burst. The effects of PAF-acether were compared to those of leukotriene B4 and N-formylmethionylleucylphenylalanine (fMet-Leu-Phe). Our results show that PAF-acether elicits marked secretion in untreated human neutrophils, and refute the prevalent view that cytochalasin B treatment is required for responsiveness. PAF-acether induced abundant release of gelatinase, increasing on average from 20% at 10 nM to 35% at 1 microM. This release was very rapid, i.e., almost complete after 2 min. fMet-Leu-Phe induced the same maximum response already at 0.1 microM, but release was considerably slower. Leukotriene B4 was less potent with a maximum release of 20%. Exocytosis of gelatinase was always paralleled by liberation of smaller but significant amounts of vitamin B12-binding protein from the specific granules. In contrast to their effect on exocytosis, PAF-acether and leukotriene B4 were very weak stimuli of the respiratory burst when compared with fMet-Leu-Phe.