Abstract: | The luminol-dependent chemiluminescence (CL) response in vitro of guinea-pig C. parvum-activated peritoneal macrophages to platelet activating factor (PAF) has been compared with that to opsonized zymosan (OpZ). The response to PAF (5 X 10(-6) mol/l.) reached a peak within 1 min, that to OpZ (0.17 mg/ml) within 10-20 min. Peak responses to both stimuli were dose-dependently inhibited in a similar manner by p-hydroxymercuribenzoate (10(-5) - 10(-3) mol/l), sodium benzoate (10(-5) - 10(-3) mol/l.) and quinacrine (10(-6) - 10(-3) mol/l.). In contrast, the xanthine oxidase inhibitor allopurinol (IC50 vs OpZ, 220 mumol/l.; vs PAF greater than 1000 mumol/l.), the methylation-inhibiting combination homocysteine + 3-deazaadenosine (IC50 vs OpZ, 22 mumol/l.; vs PAF greater than 100 mumol/l.), the phospholipase A2 inhibitor and alkylating agent p-bromophenacylbromide (pBPB; IC50 vs OpZ, 2.6 mumol/l.; vs PAF 15 mumol/l.) and the beta-adrenoceptor agonist isoprenaline (IC50 vs OpZ, 0.1 mumol/l.; PAF greater than 10 mumol/l.) all exerted differential inhibitory effects on the CL responses to the two stimuli, though colour quenching by adrenochrome cannot be ruled out in the differential effect of isoprenaline. In screening studies, carried out with CL responses measured 2 or 5 min after PAF and OpZ, respectively, verapamil (less than or equal to 10(-4) mol/l.), trifluoperazine (less than or equal to 10(5) mol/l.) EDTA (less than or equal to 10(6) mol/l.), mannitol (less than or equal to 10(-2) mol/l.), metyrapone (less than or equal to 10(-5) mol/l.), SQ 22536 (less than or equal to 10 micrograms/ml.), iso-butyl methylxanthine (less than or equal to 10(-5) mol/l.).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) |