Effect of adenosine analogues and cAMP-raising agents on TNF-, GM-CSF-, and chemotactic peptide-induced degranulation in single adherent neutrophils.

Adenosine and adenosine analogues are potent inhibitors of the respiratory burst in neutrophils. Most investigators, however, have found little or no effect of these compounds on neutrophil degranulation from cytochalasin B-treated neutrophils in suspension. We have instead investigated the effect of adenosine and 2-chloroadenosine on degranulation in adherent neutrophils in the absence of cytochalasin B. Both adenosine and 2-chloroadenosine were effective inhibitors of lactoferrin secretion induced by the chemotactic peptide N-formyl-methionine-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLP) [50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) of less than 10(-6) M]. Secretion induced by tumor necrosis factor (TNF) or granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) was inhibited only at high concentrations (IC50 of approximately 10(-4) M). In the presence of cytochalasin B no inhibitory effect of 2-chloroadenosine was seen. The effect of cAMP-raising agents on secretion from adherent neutrophils was also investigated. Dibutyryl cAMP at 0.2 mM reduced secretion in response to fMLP by 50% but did not inhibit TNF- and GM-CSF-induced degranulation. At a concentration of 2.0 mM dibutyryl cAMP also inhibited exocytosis in response to the two cytokines. The phosphodiesterase inhibitor 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX) at 300 microM reduced fMLP-induced degranulation, whereas a concentration of 1 mM was required to inhibit TNF- and GM-CSF-mediated secretion. The adenylate cyclase activator forskolin (50 microM) alone did not inhibit secretion in response to TNF or fMLP. However, in combination with IBMX (300 microM), forskolin (50 microM) reduced both TNF- and fMLP-induced secretion to less than 10%. PMA-induced exocytosis was unaffected by all these agents. In conclusion, adenosine appears to be an effective inhibitor of neutrophil granule protein secretion induced by fMLP but only a weak inhibitor of exocytosis in response to TNF or GM-CSF. Secretion in response to fMLP was also found to be more susceptible to a rise in cAMP than degranulation induced by TNF and GM-CSF.