A wave of elevated intracellular free calcium spreads through human neutrophils during phagocytosis of zymosan.

The cytosolic concentration of free calcium ([Ca2+]i) plays an important role in the control of many neutrophil functions. In this study, we characterize the early rapid subcellular changes in [Ca2+]i that occur in adherent neutrophils during phagocytosis of zymosan particles, using both dual- and single-excitation wavelength Fura-2 ratio imaging. We observed a wave of elevated cytosolic calcium that began shortly after zymosan contact and propagated from the region of neutrophil contact with the zymosan throughout the cell at a rate of approximately 17 microns/s at 31 degrees C. The wave was initiated by both opsonized and unopsonized zymosan and occurred independently of extracellular calcium. Multiple characteristics of the [Ca2+]i signal (including the absolute and regional [Ca2+]i and wave properties such as amplitude, frequency, duration, and topography) may be responsible for the differential regulation of cellular functions in the neutrophil.