Phorbol ester-induced adhesion (binding) among human mononuclear leukocytes requires extracellular Mg++ and is sensitive to protein kinase C, lipoxygenase, and ATPase inhibitors.

Under gentle shaking, the phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate (P(Bu)2)-induced adhesion among human blood mononuclear leukocytes started within a few minutes, increased with time and was almost complete after 12 h. During this moment and thereafter more than 60% of the cells were in aggregates. Induction of the cell aggregation by 20 min treatment with P(Bu)2 did not occur in Ca++/Mg++-free medium but was almost complete with Mg++ alone and reached its maximal manifestation with both divalent cations present. The intracellular Ca++ antagonist 8-(N,N-diethylamino)octyl-3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoate had a minimal inhibitory effect, and simultaneous treatment of the cells with Ca++ ionophore A23187 and P(Bu)2 did not increase the intercellular binding, whereas A23187 alone induced some cell aggregation. Retinal, a protein kinase C inhibitor, inhibited the intercellular adhesion by more than 50%, and treatment of intact cells with 1-oleoyl-2-acetyl-glycerol, an activator of the enzyme, induced some cell aggregation that was slightly increased when A23187 was added simultaneously. Nordihydroguaiaretic acid, 5,8,11-eicosatriynoic acid and 5,8,11,14-eicosatetraynoic acid, which inhibit lipoxygenation of arachidonic acid, reduced the cell aggregation in contrast to indomethacin and acetylsalicylic acid that had no effect. Cellular ATPases, inhibited by quercetin, but not the ouabain-sensitive Na+, K+-ATPase, appeared to participate, whereas the amiloride-sensitive plasma membrane Na+/H+ exchanger and the intracellular levels of cGMP did not seem to influence the system.