The effects were observed of moving male, adult Han:Sprague rats in their cages or of exposure to ether for 1 min on the plasma concentration profiles of 25 blood characteristics linked with stress and shock reactions. 5 min after the stress serum prolactin, corticosterone, thyroid-stimulating hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, triiodothyronine and thyroxin levels were elevated 150-500% compared with those in blood collected within 100 s of entering the animal room. Heart rate (telemetrically recorded), packed cell volume,, haemoglobin and plasma protein content were 10-20% elevated 2-10 min after cage movement or 2-20 min after ether confrontation over those of controls sampled within 50 s, indicating circulatory and microcirculatory shock reactions. Serum glucose, pyruvate and lactate concentrations rose by 20-100% 1-5 min after cage movement and 1-15 min after ether exposure. Phosphate, calcium, urea, apartate and alanine transferases, alkaline phosphalase and leucine arylamidase were not altered significantly by either stressor, while potassium and bound glycerol fell for 1 min and 5-20 min respectively. The presence of a familiar animal attendant working in the room without touching the cages did not markedly affect the blood characteristics being studied.

Summary:A lumiüol-dependent non-opsonized zymosan-induced chemiluminescence method for phagocytes in small quantities of whole blood (40 ; final dilution: l : 14) is described. It was characterized with reference to cellular and humoral components, and also applied to isolated neutrophils, eosinophils and monocytes. Normal values for whole blood chemiluminescence and for neutrophils, eosinophils and monocytes are presented. From the chemiluminescence characteristic of distinct phagocytes and their frequency distribution pattern in whole blood, it is concluded that whole blood chemiluminescence has its source predominantly in neutrophils. The question äs to the origin of chemiluminescence in phagocytes of whole blood and isolated neutrophils is investigated. The results support the importance of the myeloperoxidase-H 2 O 2 -halide System, but also go beyond this. The release of arachidonic acid by phospholipase A 2 and of diacylglycerol and inositol trisphosphate by phospholipase C, the metabolism of arachidonic acid by the cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase pathway, the activation of membrane NADPH oxidase by diacylglycerol and the calcium mobilisation by inositol trisphosphate are necessary for the chemiluminescence reaction. Inhibition of either mechanism suppresses the chemiluminescence response. The interaction of non-opsonized zymosan with plasma opsonins, phagocyte Fc-and complement receptors, respectively, for the initiation of chemiluminescence, was investigated. Non-opsonized zymosan initiates a chemiluminescence response in blood phagocytes in the absence of opsonin from the interaction of the zymosan polysaccharide component glucan with the complement receptor type 3. In the presence of plasma this receptor type also mediates the major chemiluminescence response brought about by the zymosan-coated cleavage products of complement fraction three, iC3b and to a minor degree G3b, while immunoglobulin G-coated zymosan interaction with the Fcreceptor is in this case of minor importance. 'Q uc.On Superoxide anion (Öi), hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ), \ Upon interaction with particulate Stimuli or chemical and probably hydroxyl radical (· OH) and singlet s Stimulation, polymorphonuclear Jeuköcytes (neutro-oxygen (* 2 ) (1). These excited oxygen species react philic and eosinophilic granulocytes), monocytes and with certain biological Substrates to become electronimacrophages respond with a chain of biochemical cally excited products which generate light upon rei and cytophysioiogical events commonly known äs laxation. The relatively poor quantum yield of this ' the respirätory burst native chemiluminescence can be increased more than a thousand fold by using cyclic hydrazides such äs This respiratory burst is characterized by an increase ^.^ as ^ bystander substra te. in glucose dehydrogenation via the hexose monophosphate shunt and a non-mitochondrial increase Many investigators have employed luminol-enhanced in oxygen consumption. By enzymatic and non-en-chemiluminescence of isolated polymorphonuclear zymatic re...

In an experimental study, employing anaesthetized dogs, it was investigated whether cellular enzymes from peripheral skeletal muscle get into the circulating blood by diffusion across capillary membranes or by lymphatic transport. In the experimental group 1, the animals were anaesthetized only. The plasma activities of the four enzymes measured — lactate dehydrogenase, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, creatine kinase did not show any mentionable change during a time period of 6 h. In group 2 one hind limb of each animal was moved passively for 1 h. Alanine aminotransferase remained unchanged in plasma, the activities of the three other enzymes increased significantly. In group 3 one hind limb was made hypoxic by clamping the femoral blood vessels for 1 h. No activity changes were observed. When the period of hypoxia was followed by a 1-hour period of passive movement in group 4, the alterations in plasma activities were almost identical to those observed in group 2. In group 5 the experimental procedure was as in group 4, in addition the lymph from the thoracic duct was quantitatively withdrawn. The enzyme activities in plasma revealed a tendency to decrease rather than increase. Lymph flow increased significantly as well as the lymphatic activities of those enzymes which have high intracellular activities in muscle. The results prove, that enzymes from muscle are transported from the interstitial into the intravascular compartment mainly by lymphatic transport. Indications were found that the interruption of blood flow in one hind limb did not result in an enzyme release from muscle cells. It is discussed how changes in lymph flow, occurring during physical exercise for example, affect enzyme activities in plasma.