Chromium and tritiated thymidine releases from target cells are differential events in human monocyte/macrophage-mediated cytotoxicity.

Cytotoxic properties of human activated macrophages were investigated by measuring both 51Cr and [3H]TdR releases from prelabeled target cells. The kinetic study of macrophage-mediated cytotoxicity indicated that 51Cr and [3H]TdR releases showed a distinct time course. Next, when [3H]TdR release was measured as a parameter for cytotoxicity, pretreatment of activated macrophages with either actinomycin D or emetine remarkably decreased their cytotoxicity in a dose-dependent manner. In contrast, the pretreatment with these inhibitors had little effect on 51Cr release. Furthermore, the addition of Zn2+ in the assay medium caused the decrease in [3H]TdR release but not 51Cr release from the target cells. Taken together, our findings indicate that 51Cr and [3H]TdR releases from the target cells are induced by activated macrophages through different cytotoxic mechanisms; the former does not require RNA and protein syntheses in macrophages during coculture, whereas the latter requires them. Our findings also suggest that macrophage-derived nuclease may play an important role for inducing [3H]TdR release from the target cells.