Pulsed electric current enhances the phorbol ester induced oxidative burst in human neutrophils

Abstract

Oxidative burst (OB) response in human ncutrophils. measured with chcmiluminesccncc (CL), has been used to dcterminc whether pulsed electric current (PEC) might induce a functional response in these electrically nonexcitable cells, and also whether it might modify cellular response to tumor-promoting pborbol ester (PMA). Five minutes of PEC lreatmcnt caused no significant chanBcs in ncutrophil CL levels in HBSS (I.2 mM Ca" concentration) aa well as in HBSS-EGTA, where the extracellular Ca2+ concentration was reduced to less than 30 nM. The CL level of PMA-activated neutrophils in HBSS was 52% higher than in HBSS-EGTA. In HBSS the CL Icvcl, after the combined PMA and PEC treatment, was 53% higher than in PMA-alone-treated ncutrophils. Activation of the OB in HBSS-EGTA with PMA and PEC was 15% higher than in solely PMA treated neutrophils. The results suggest that in ncutrophil OB response, the PEC effect is closely rclatcd with cellular calcium mobilization, since deplction of extracellular Ca"' decreased tbc PEC effect.

Oscillatory Pericellular Proteolysis and Oxidant Deposition During Neutrophil Locomotion

“…All of these processes are tied to cell locomotion and may be driven by the cadence of the oscillatory metabolic/signaling machinery. Previous workers have reported small, but significant, increases in the respiratory burst of activated neutrophils in the presence of pulsed electric fields or low frequency magnetic fields (Bobanovic et al, 1992;Roy et al, 1995). In the present study, activation with mediators such as phorbol esters was not required.…”