Effect of cycloxygenase and lipoxygenase inhibitors on the chemiluminescence response of human neutrophils.

The chemiluminescence response of human neutrophils activated by zymosan and WGA is different in the presence of the amplifiers lucigenin and luminol. Inhibitors of arachidonic acid metabolism and scavengers of reactive oxygen species demonstrate that the generation of cellular chemiluminescence is connected with the activation of the lipoxygenase and cycloxygenase pathway. The effect on the chemiluminescence induced by WGA was always stronger than that of chemiluminescence activated by zymosan. Indomethacin, ETYA and two experimental lipoxygenase-inhibitors cause in some concentrations an increase of chemiluminescence response. The estimation of the influence of new substances on the cellular chemiluminescence stimulation and its comparison with standard drugs should be useful to enable a first in vitro characterization.