L-fucose blocks MIF/MAF priming of rabbit alveolar macrophages for a PMA-induced oxidative response.

The effect of L-fucose on the priming of AM from normal adult rabbits and their subsequent chemiluminescent (CL) responses to phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) was investigated. It was observed that 12.5 mM L-fucose, but not D-fucose, blocked the "spontaneous" priming of normal AM during an 18-hr incubation period in serum-free RPMI 1640 medium by about 40% (P less than 0.01) as detected by their CL responses to a PMA challenge. In addition, the optimal concentration of L-fucose (12.5 mM) blocked MIF/MAF priming during the 3- or 18-hr incubation period by 71 or 93% (P less than 0.05), respectively, as determined by their CL responses following PMA challenge. It is of particular significance that D-fucose was inactive. These results, together with previously published data, indicate that L-fucose (a) blocks priming of AM for an oxidative response, (b) stimulates random migration of AM, and (c) reverses migration inhibition produced by migration inhibition factor.