Effects of prostaglandins on leukocyte migration

Artificially synthesized prostaglandins (PGE1, PGE2, PGF1alpha, and PGF2alpha) were found, using Boyden's chamber, to induce significant migration of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) of the rabbit; PGF2alpha had greater effects than PGE1 or E2. A typical dose dependent relationship was found between the PMNs migration and PGF2alpha concentrations. Indomethacin pretreatments of rabbits did not significantly alter the PMNs migration indicating that PGs synthetized in vivo was not involved in the migration. PGF2alpha was placed in the lower compartment opposite to PMNs and also in the upper compartment together with PMNs. No significant difference was found in the number of migrated PMNs between the two experimental conditions. PGs diffusion occurred across the millipore filter separating the two compartments where the concentrations were almost equal at the end of 3 hours incubation. It was thus concluded that PGs effects are to induce random PMNs movements rather than to initiate chemotactic directional migration.