Contact-induced modulation of neutrophil elastase secretion and phagocytic activity by platelets

It has been reported that platelets stimulate generation of reactive oxygen species in neutrophils and monocytes by a mechanism that requires mutual cell-cell contact and the presence of P-selectin on the platelet surface. In the present study we investigated the effect of platelet-neutrophil contacts on neutrophil elastase secretion and phagocytic activity. Non-activated or thrombin-activated platelets were fixed with formaldehyde, washed and incubated with neutrophils in the absence or presence of various neutrophil agonists. Elastase secretion was determined by measuring the enzyme activity in cell-free supernatants using a chromogenic substrate. Platelet-neutrophil adhesion and ingestion of zymosan particles by neutrophils were quantitated by light microscopy. Platelets significantly reduced elastase secretion from neutrophils but had no effect on the elastase activity in the supernatant of neutrophil lysates. When neutrophils were stimulated with the ionophore A23187 or the chemotactic peptide FMLP, thrombin-activated platelets were more potent to inhibit elastase secretion when compared with non-activated platelets. Neutrophils that were not able to bind platelets to their surface had a significantly lower phagocytic activity when compared with neutrophil with adherent platelets or neutrophils that were incubated in the absence of platelets. The results indicate that platelet-neutrophil contacts may also lead to an inhibition of neutrophil functions and that such inhibition could be due to a transient contact rather than due to a firm platelet-neutrophil adhesion.