Metabolism of purines in macrophages. Effect of functional state of the cells.

Ecto-5'-nucleotidase is known to be diminished markedly in activated compared to control mouse macrophages. The level of three purine nucleoside metabolizing enzymes, adenosine deaminase (EC 3.5.4.4), purine nucleoside phosphorylase (EC 2.4.2.1), and adenine phosphoribosyltransferase (EC 2.4.2.7) were measured in the sonicates of different populations of mouse peritoneal macrophages. Levels of adenine phosphoribosyltransferase and purine nucleoside phosphorylase in macrophages that were elicited with sodium caseinate or activated in vivo by prior intravenous injection of Listeria monocytogenes were eight times higher than those in resident cells. Levels of adenosine deaminase also tended to increase and were two times higher in elicited cells than in resident cells. The Km of each enzyme was the same in each cell population. The findings suggest that the levels of the ecto-5'-nucleotidase and of the intracellular enzymes are coordinated.