The oxidative response of rabbit peritoneal neutrophils to leishmanias and other trypanosomatids.

Luminometry has been used to measure the respiratory burst of rabbit peritoneal neutrophils that is elicited by different forms and species of Leishmania and Herpetomonas. Mid-log phase and metacyclic promastigotes of L. major evoked large responses; that due to metacyclics was lower and slower, but they also bound in smaller numbers than mid-log phase cells. Promastigotes of L. mexicana mexicana also stimulated a large respiratory burst whereas amastigotes elicited little or none. Leishmania donovani promastigotes and culture forms of H. muscarum muscarum and H. m. ingenoplastis all evoked large responses by neutrophils. There was, however, very little response to L. mexicana mexicana promastigotes, L. donovani promastigotes or H. muscarum muscarum when they were added in large numbers. This 'inhibition' was not apparent with L. major.