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Updated: Aug 19, 2026

A Simple and Efficient Method to Detect Nuclear Factor Activation in Human Neutrophils by Flow Cytometry
Published on: April 9, 2013
Rapid acceleration of neutrophil apoptosis by tumor necrosis factor-alpha
Y Takeda1, H Watanabe, S Yonehara
1Department of Parasitology and Anatomy, Yamagata University School of Medicine, Japan.
Abstract:
We demonstrate here that human necrosis factor-alpha, a potent neutrophil activator, induces rapid (within 3 h) apoptosis of these cells, i.e. neutrophils treated with this cytokine exhibit (i) light and electron microscopic changes characteristic to apoptotic cells, (ii) reduced propidium iodide binding to DNA, and (iii) the ladder form of DNA, as shown by agarose gel electrophoresis. These results suggest that apoptosis acceleration may be involved in processes by which neutrophils are prevented from damaging tissues.
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