In vitro activation of mouse neutrophils by recombinant human interferon-gamma: increased phagocytosis and release of reactive oxygen species and pro-inflammatory cytokines.

Here, we investigated the ability of IFN-γ to modulate the functions of mouse neutrophils in vitro. Neutrophils incubated in the presence of IFN-γ showed enhanced phagocytosis in response to zymosan, opsonized zymosan or precipitated immune complexes of IgG and ovalbumin. The effect of IFN-γ was dose-dependent with an initial response at 10 U/ml and a maximal response at 150 U/ml; 2 h of incubation were required to reach the optimal response level. These stimuli can also induce IFN-γ-pretreated neutrophils to release reactive oxygen species (ROS), such as superoxide anion, hydrogen peroxide and hypochlorous acid, as well as granule lysosomal enzymes and the pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-6. We found that increased expression of FcγR, dectin-1 and complement receptors (CRs) correlated with these effects in these cells. The enhancing effect of IFN-γ on the respiratory burst was found to be associated with up-regulation of the gp91(phox) and p47(phox) subunits of NADPH oxidase, as measured by their mRNA levels. The enhancing effect of IFN-γ on phagocytosis and ROS release may not only be relevant for the efficient killing of invading microorganisms, but may also produce oxidative stress on adjacent cells, resulting in a possible inflammatory role that could also be favored by the liberation of the pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-6.