Journal of Leukocyte Biolojr 36:533-543 (1984) Relationships Between Oxidative Metabolism, Macrophage Activation, and Antilisterial

Previous reports from this laboratory have revealed that macrophages ob-tamed from 7-day Listeria-immune mice elicited 15 h before harvest with heat-killed homologous microorganisms were able to kill Listeria monocytogenes while resident or elicited cells were not [14,16]. In the present study, experi-ments were conducted to determine if phagocytosis-associated oxidative met-abolic activity participates in the enhanced destruction of Listeria by activated macrophages. Investigations into production of oxygen radicals by zymosan-stimulated macrophages revealed that Listeria-immune antigen-elicited (LIAE) cells produced significantly more superoxide and hydrogen peroxide than did resident, thioglycolate, or Listeria antigen-elicited macrophages. Additionally, the percentage of nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) dye postitive cells following exposure to zymosan was maximal in the immune-elicited population. Utilizing a luminol-dependent assay, a short-term chemiluminescent (CL) burst was noted in phagocytizing macrophages. This response was greatest in the LIAE population that exhibited a tenfold increase in peak chemiluminescence ove