Some aspects of leucocyte metabolism: "in vitro" effects of drugs inducing agranulocytosis on separated human lymphocytes and polymorphonuclear leucocytes

Abstract

This work was carried out in order to investigate the actions of drugs known to induce agranulocytosis on certain metabolic reactions of human leucocytes. Lymphocytes and polymorphonuclear leucocytes (PMN) were separated "in vitro" from samples of normal human blood, utilising the property of PMN whereby they will adhere to siliconed glass surfaces while lymphocytes do not adhere. The respiration and lactic acid production of the separated leucocytes was measured using manometric and enzymic methods respectively. It was found that drugs inducing predominately agranulocytosis - chlorpromazine, amidopyrine, and thiouracil - inhibited PMN respiration by 20% at concentrations which occur "in vivo" under normal therapeutic conditions. Drugs inducing both agranulocytosis and aplastic anaemia - phenylbutazone and chloramphenicol - showed little inhibitory activity on PMN respiration. No drugs exerted any apparent effect on lymphocyte respiration and on PMN lactic acid production. The significance of these results was discussed.