Oxidative mechanisms utilized by human neutrophils to destroy Escherichia coli

Serum-opsonized bacteria are efficiently ingested and killed by neutrophils within the phagocytic vacuole, where they are exposed to an array of reactive oxygen metabolites and toxic lysosomal components. Although bacteria may be destroyed by oxygen-independent mechanisms alone, many types of bacteria are not killed effectively unless they are attacked by oxygen metabolites. However, the apparent inability of extracellular scavengers, or inhibitors, of oxygen metabolites to gain access to the phagocytic vacuole makes this system difficult to evaluate. Therefore, we investigated the ability of neutrophils triggered with phorbol myristate acetate to destroy unopsonized E. coli in a serum-free model system. Neutrophils incubated with phorbol myristate acetate at a cell-to-bacteria ratio of 1:4 caused a greater than 95% reduction in colony-forming units (CFU) of E. coli in 60 min at 37 degrees C. Destruction of E. coli by the stimulated neutrophils was dependent on neutrophil number, stimuli concentration, and the incubation period. The neutrophil-mediated bactericidal effect was stimulated by superoxide dismutase, but was inhibited by catalase, azide, or compounds known to scavenge hypochlorous acid. Although stimulated neutrophils can generate long-lived endogenous N- chloroamines , these compounds did not play a direct role in destruction of E. coli in our model system. However, in the presence of exogenous iodide, endogenous N- chloroamines exerted a powerful bactericidal effect. Finally, neutrophils triggered with opsonized zymosan could also mediate E. coli destruction by a qualitatively similar process. Thus, we have demonstrated that neutrophils have the potential to utilize the myeloperoxidase system to generate bactericidal quantities of a species with characteristics similar to, if not identical with, hypochlorous acid.