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Calmodulin antagonists inhibit the phagocytic activity of cultured Kupffer cells
S Watanabe1, M Hirose, A Miyazaki
1Department of Gastroenterology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Abstract:
The mechanism of phagocytosis by Kupffer cells is still unknown. In this study we found that trifluoperazine, chlorpromazine, and W-7, drugs which bind to Ca2+-calmodulin and inhibit its interaction with other proteins, inhibit phagocytosis by cultured Kupffer cells using polystyrene beads, time-lapse VTR systems, and fluorescent staining techniques. Inhibitory effects of these drugs on phagocytosis suggests that the Ca2+-calmodulin system may be involved in this complex cellular function and the integrity of the cytoskeletal system of Kupffer cells is essential to this phenomenon.