Inhibition of granulocyte chemotaxis by hemoglobin in experimental peritonitis.

We have shown in in vivo experiments that hemoglobin interferes with the attraction of polymorphonuclear granulocytes into the peritoneal cavity of rats in response to a bacterial inoculum and thus permits bacterial growth. These findings are proportional to the intraperitoneal concentration of hemoglobin. In in vitro experiments the chemotactic response of human polymorphonuclear granulocytes to zymosan activated serum as well as E. coli bacterial factor is inhibited by hemoglobin. While hemoglobin added in a concentration of 4% to the chemotactic factor causes a significant depression of granulocyte chemotaxis concentrations of only 0.01% are sufficient to cause inhibition of chemotaxis when hemoglobin is added to the cell suspension. The spontaneous migration of the cells is not influenced in either experiment.