Age-related decline in lysosomal enzyme release from polymorphonuclear leukocytes after N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine stimulation.

Aging is assumed to decrease lysosomal enzyme release from polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN). A synthetic chemotactic peptide, N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMet-Leu-Phe) was utilized to stimulate enzyme release of PMN from 45 human subjects, 21 males and 24 females, ranging in age from 22-83 yr old. Results of the studies showed no sex differences in the stimulation of enzyme release for either age group. However, stimulation was found to significantly decline in both males and females over 50 yr old compared to subjects under 50 yr old. The linear formulae for beta-glucuronidase, beta-galactosidase and lysozyme in male subjects were Y = 6.5X + 617.2, Y = -1.9X + 311.5 and Y = -1.9X + 327.3 with correlation coefficient of -0.685, -0.352 and -0.401, respectively. The linear formulae in females were Y = -5.2X + 536.6, Y = -3.0X + 340.6 and Y = -1.7X + 333.6 with correlation coefficient of -0.582, -0.303 and -0.462, respectively. These findings suggest that there was an age-related decline of response to the stimulant, fMet-Leu-Phe.