Biochemical events associated with the stimulation of rabbit neutrophils by platelet-activating factor

The functional and biochemical responses evoked by the addition of platelet-activating factor (PAF) to a suspension of rabbit neutrophils have been characterized in an effort to define the mode of action of this lipid mediator. PAF was found to elicit a secretory response and to stimulate a rapid breakdown of the polyphosphoinositides, an increase in the cytoplasmic level of free calcium (as monitored by quin2), a decrease in the fluorescence of cell-associated chlortetracycline, an enhanced activity of the sodium/hydrogen antiport, a transient depolarization, and an increase in the level of cytoskeletal actin. The quin2 response to PAF was found to be detectable at concentrations as low as 0.01 nM, to be very dependent on the presence of extracellular calcium, and to be sensitive to inhibition by phorbol esters. On the other hand, the increase in free calcium induced by PAF in the presence of extracellular calcium was essentially unaffected by pertussis toxin. PAF-induced neutrophil degranulation was similarly extracellular calcium dependent and phorbol ester sensitive. The secretory activity of PAF was evident only at concentrations in excess of 1 nM. All of the other effects of PAF were found to be independent of the presence of external calcium and to be demonstrable only at concentrations larger than 1 nM. In addition, all neutrophil responses to PAF (with the above noted exception of quin2) were potently inhibited by pertussis toxin. These results are interpreted in terms of the possible existence of two functionally distinct populations of receptors. The occupation of one set (of apparent high affinity) induces an increase in permeability to calcium in a phorbol-ester-, but not pertussis-toxin-, sensitive manner. The activation of the other set of receptors at higher concentrations of PAF stimulates the polyphosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C and induces the attendant biochemical responses. These latter responses appear to be mediated by a guanine-nucleotide-binding regulatory protein.