Measurement of the metabolic burst in human neutrophils: a comparison between cytochrome c and NBT reduction.

Stimulation of human neutrophils with phorbol myristate acetate results in a metabolic burst, which can be measured as an enhanced cytochrome c reduction or NBT reduction. There is more NBT reduction than cytochrome c reduction. When cytochrome c and NBT are simultaneously present the reduction of each is about the same as when either cytochrome c or NBT is present. Whereas cytochrome c reduction is completely annihilated by externally added superoxide dismutase, NBT reduction is diminished to a lesser extent under the same conditions. It is concluded that cytochrome c reduction only measures extracellularly released superoxide, whereas NBT may be reduced by extracellular superoxide or other molecules as well; thus NBT measures another aspect of the metabolic burst.