Effect of sodium thiomalate on immune complex-induced release of lysosomal enzymes from human polymorphonuclear leucocytes

The extracellular release of beta-glucuronidase and beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase from normal human polymorphonuclear leucocytes initiated with bovine serum albumin/anti-bovine serum albumin immune complex (15 micrograms/ml) was significantly inhibited (p less than 0.01) by pretreatment with increasing concentrations (10(-8) M, 10(-7) M, 10(-6) M and 10(-5) M) of sodium thiomalate in a time- and dose-related fashion. Also, beta-glucuronidase and beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase exhibited similar responses to the effects of bovine serum albumin/anti-bovine serum albumin or sodium thiomalate. In contrast, neither bovine serum albumin/anti-bovine serum albumin nor sodium thiomalate provoked appreciable leakage of the cytoplasmic enzyme, lactate dehydrogenase. This indicates that cell integrity remains intact under the experimental conditions described.