Reactive forms of oxygen and chemiluminescence in phagocytizing rabbit alveolar macrophages.

Chemiluminescence (CL), superoxide anion (O2-) production, and particle uptake were measured to determine the role of antibacterial substances in the chemiluminescent response associated with phagocytosis in rabbit alveolar macrophages (AM). Exposure of AM to zymosan particles induced both CL and the production of extracellular O2-. CL is inhibited by superoxide dismutase, an enzyme which catalyzes the conversion of O2- to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), by catalase, an enzyme which destroys H2O2, and by the hydroxyl radical (.OH) scavengers, benzoate and ethanol. Superoxide dismutase and catalase probably exert their effects in the extracellular fluid. CL can also be produced by the addition of NaO2 or H2O2 to zymosan in a noncellular system. The chemiluminescent response occurs before particle uptake is complete, which also indicates that CL occurs in the extracellular fluid. These results suggest that CL induced by zymosan in AM is due to the extracellular reaction between various reactive forms of oxygen and zymosan.