Chicken neutrophils: oxidative metabolism in phagocytic cells devoid of myeloperoxidase.

Polymorphonuclear leukocytes isolated from chicken peritoneal exudates have been found to catalyze cyanide-insensitive stimulation of respiration and the hexose monophosphate shunt upon exposure to heat-inactivated Staphylococcus aureus. However, there was no demonstrable formate oxidation concomitant with phagocytosis in either the presence or absence of exogenous catalase. Moreover, chicken polymorphonuclear leukocytes failed to oxidize scopoletin concomitant with phagocytosis in the presence of horseradish peroxidase. While oxygen uptake was increased 2- to 3-fold by the stimulus of phagocytosis, the oxidation of [1-(14)C]glucose was increased approximately 20-fold. The cells contain two mechanisms, a glutathione reductase-glutathione peroxidase system and an NADPH-NAD+ transhydrogenase, each of which is present in sufficient capacity to accommodate the enhanced shunt activity. Although chicken polymorphonuclear leukocytes were found to possess a substantial capacity to catalyze the cyanide-insensitive oxidation of either NADH or NADPH, the total or specific activities of such processes were not demonstrably affected by phagocytosis.