Effects of D-penicillamine, dichlofenac sodium and gold sodium thiomalate upon the selective release of lysosomal enzymes from human polymorphonuclear leucocytes to immune complex.

The selective release of beta-glucuronidase (beta-Gluc) and beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase (beta-Glm) from human polymorphonuclear leucocytes (PMN), initiated with bovine serum albumin/anti-bovine serum albumin (BSA/anti-BSA) immune complex (15 micrograms/ml-1) was significantly reduced by increasing concentrations (10(-7) M, 10(-6) M and 10(-5) M) of D-penicillamine (D-PEN) in a dose-dependent fashion. These effects upon the exocytosis of the lysosomal enzymes studied are in accordance with the results obtained previously in rats with adjuvant arthritis. In contrast, Dichlofenac Sodium (DICHL), which has been found to exert inhibitory activity upon extracellular release of beta-Gluc and beta-Glm in adjuvant arthritic rats in previous studies, had no significant in vitro effect on the exocytosis of these enzymes at the concentrations identical to those of D-PEN. Also, Gold Sodium Thiomalate (GST), in the same concentrations ranging from 10(-7) M-10(-5) M, failed to inhibit selective release of beta-Gluc and beta-Glm in the present investigations. Additionally, BSA/anti-BSA, D-PEN, DICHL and GST did not significantly produce the extracellular release of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) indicating that under experimental conditions described the cell remained intact. Moreover, neither D-PEN, DICHL, GST or BSA/anti-BSA significantly changed the activities of lysosomal enzyme markers used in these experiments. The possible mechanism(s) of the observed phenomena are discussed.